Student-Led Coffee Shops Thrive in U.S., Nigeria

Efforts to innovate and grow coffee culture are taking place across diverse contexts, from Nigeria to the United States and the UK. In Lagos, My Coffee Lagos created a thriving specialty coffee culture by educating customers, offering coffee-tasting sessions, and fostering a community-focused lifestyle around premium coffee, which was previously unfamiliar to many locals. Meanwhile, in Richardson ISD, elementary students are gaining real-world business experience by running a coffee shop on campus called Brew-tiful Minds, learning entrepreneurship, leadership, and teamwork while raising funds for their school. In the U.S., coffee remains the most popular caffeinated beverage, with 40% of adults drinking it daily; however, some consumers seek to reduce caffeine intake, making half-caff coffee an emerging market opportunity. Across the Atlantic, Deliveroo and Gail’s have partnered with students at Sheffield Hallam University to develop sustainable coffee cup designs aimed at improving delivery quality and reducing environmental impact, highlighting the growing importance of sustainability in the coffee industry. These examples demonstrate how coffee culture is evolving globally through education, innovation, community building, and sustainability initiatives.