VENTURE CAPITAL POST

This Saturday, in celebration of National Cold Brew Day, coffee aficionados nationwide are in for a treat with various coffee shops and producers offering special deals and discounts.

Starbucks is being sued by a group from California who believe that the well-known coffee shop discriminates against its lactose-intolerant customers.

Starbucks' franchisee in the Middle East, Alshaya Group, is implementing significant job cuts at its coffee shops.

Starbucks sees the potential of its fast-growing China business to one day overtake the U.S. market. The company plans to open more stores in the next five years, half of which will be in the U.S. and in China as the brand remains attractive for the retailers.

Starbucks is about to open its biggest coffee restaurant in 2018 and will be known as Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room which will be housed by the 170,000 square foot building developed by Aurora Capital Associates and Vornado Realty Trust. It would be the biggest Starbucks coffee shop in the world where customers also get educated about the process how coffees are roasted and brewed from all over the world.

Nespresso Prodigio is a coffeemaker that brews your espresso with the use of your iPhone or Android smartphone via Bluetooth. It has smart abilities telling you when to fill the water tank, brew your coffee automatically ahead of time or inform you when you run out of capsules. It can be ordered at Sur la Table for $249.

Starbucks announced its partnership with Percassi to open its first store in Milan, Italy.

Flustered customers complain about the change in the Starbucks Rewards Program. Starting April, points or stars can be earned based on the purchase and not on the visits that customers make. The coffee restaurant said that the change came from the No. 1 request among the loyalty program members.

Starbucks have brewed some new additions to its mouth-watering menu. The company introduces the Smoked Butterscotch Latte together with the Teavana Citrus Green Latte, whether hot or cold and other versions of Frappuccino. This latest addition is available in U.S. and Canada only.

Brazil, the world's number one coffee grower and exporter, has been hit by El Nino from last year, affecting the coffee crops and harvests. The weather has affected prices expectations and investors moves, as demand rise and supply declines. Coffee bean prices rise has been seen in Brazil.

Three stores in New York will be converted to Starbucks stores, one store in Beverly Hills will be closed completely, one other in Seattle will remain open. More than 350 retail locations will also continue to sell the Teavana products, and some of the menus will be incorporated into Starbucks' menu.

Yes, you read the headline right. It looks like Starbucks could use bartenders instead of baristas as it is set to add alcohol to its menu in 70 branches all over the US.

A German entrepreneur has invented an in-home machine that quickly turns raw beans into a freshly brewed cup of coffee, racking up 5,000 pre-orders as consumers search for the perfect brew and retailers hunt for new ways tap the coffee market.

Emerald-colored tea bushes blanketing the rolling hills of Nandi County have long provided a livelihood for small-scale farmers, helping make Kenya one of the world's biggest tea exporters.

Rainfall in one of the world's main growing area of robusta coffee signals bearish bets as the industry stumbles, falling to its lowest level in almost a year and a half. The weather is expected to be more favorable for growers in Indonesia next week.