Almost half of U.S. consumers claim to be coffee drinkers but the U.S. per capita consumption peaked back in the 1960s at 3.1 cups per day. It has since fallen to about 1.4 cups per day, according to the U.S. National Coffee Association. The main area of growth is in the specialty, or gourmet, coffee sector, which includes espresso-based drinks and iced coffees. Specialty coffees are gaining a growing foothold in Mexico. For example, the Mexican chain, Coffee Station, now has 44 establishments, including 39 franchise operations, most of them located in Mexico City.
Mexican growers face a tough year.
At least 500,000 sacks were lost due to the severe drought in the first half of last year. An international business center is due to open later this month at Mexico City's airport. Its facilities include a lounge, secretarial pool and conference room for up to 150 people, with state of the art communications systems, including video-conferencing, digital satellite links, computers and cell phones. Most of the new investment will go towards expanding output of graphics film and doubling the production of single-use cameras from 20 to 40 million a year. Delphi's clients include every major vehicle manufacturer from BMW and Chrysler to Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Volkswagen.