LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas is known for a lot of things–one of them is a fantastic coffee scene.
With talk of coffee prices rising to near-record highs across the country, I figured what better place than the Arts District to see if local coffee shops are feeling the pinch.
"The Arts District is awesome," said Arts District local Paul Murad. "There's a lot of local coffee shops, not chains that are national or regional."
Murad says he's been more mindful about his morning cup of joe recently, hearing that coffee prices are spiking nationwide.
"I've actually said that I'll never come back to certain coffee shops that overcharge for either coffee or the plant-based milk that I prefer," Murad said. "So I choose one of the local places I go to."
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis–shows ground coffee has eclipsed $7 per pound on average in the United States, up from just over $4 per pound in early 2020.
Analysts say climate change is one of the biggest reasons for the spike, with record droughts in Brazil and Vietnam, the world's two largest coffee exporters.
The National Coffee Association says Americans drink 465 million cups of coffee a day–an average of 2.7 cups per person.
It's that demand that has local coffee shops and roasters keeping a close eye on global prices.
"We're buying in bulk, but $1 or $2 extra a pound adds up over the course of time pretty quickly," said Jason Martin.
Martin is one of the owners of District Deli and Coffee at Main Street and Utah Avenue in the Arts District, where coffee prices have remained stable–so far.
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to knee-jerk adjust the prices, because we don't know where it's going to land," Martin said. "Hopefully it lands much more favorably than the first conversations [we've had about price increases], and we don't have to do much [with our prices]."
It's the same story a few blocks north at Bungalow Coffee at Charleston and Casino Center Drive.
"So far, nothing has been raised," said Bungalow Coffee Assistant Manager McKenna Ditterline. "Not our prices, not the cost of beans or anything."
Ditterline says that's been reassuring for her and her team.
"Not that we would lay anybody off, but then we don't have to even think about that," Ditterline said. "We don't have to think about raising our prices, because we don't want to lose our customers."
But what if their costs do eventually increase?
"We would try our best to not raise our prices," Ditterline said. "Just so that we don't upset our customers and our regulars, the people who come to us once or twice a day."
That's a priority for District Deli too.
"Right now, we don't have any direct plans to raise coffee prices," Martin, one of District's owners, said. "Food prices may be out of our hands–there's not a lot we can do on that one, and still be able to keep the doors open."
With prices for everything continuing to soar, folks in the Arts District say it's more important than ever to keep shopping local and support small businesses around the valley.
"Be mindful with how you spend your money everywhere, but including coffee, specifically," Paul Murad said. "Find local shops that are locally owned and operated, and support them there."
