The 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo, held from April 25-27 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, brought the global coffee community together once again for an energizing weekend of innovation, collaboration, and craft.
Organized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), this year’s event welcomed more than 17,000 attendees from 85 countries to explore everything from high-tech roasters to single-serve sustainability. From groundbreaking products to global cultural showcases, the expo underscored just how dynamic and diverse the specialty coffee world has become. Here were some of the highlights:
Over 600 exhibitors in attendance
Held in a sprawling exhibition hall, the expo featured more than 600 exhibitors. Attendees browsed the latest coffee equipment, sustainable packaging innovations, and cutting-edge brewing technologies. Educational sessions covered everything from cold brew sensory analysis and cupping through multiple cultural lenses to improving café workflow.
The Cupping Exchange returned, allowing professionals to taste coffees from across the globe. One of the most exciting moments? “The World Coffee Roasting Championships,” where competitors from around the world showcased their precision and artistry in coffee-making.
In addition to tech and technique, the event celebrated design and creativity. “The Best New Product” and “Coffee Design Awards” recognized standout innovations in gear, branding, and experience design.
Peru in the spotlight
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This year’s Portrait Country was Peru, which offered cultural activations and a pop-up café that highlighted its vibrant coffee heritage. The exhibit brought attention to Peru’s diverse microclimates and indigenous farming communities, introducing more attendees to its rich and growing specialty coffee scene. Standout exhibitors included:
Onyx Coffee Lab
Founded by Jon and Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab from Arkansas stood out with its thoughtful sourcing and sleek café design. The company, ranked No. 2 globally and No. 1 in North America by The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, is celebrated for its transparency, balanced blends like “Southern Weather” and “Geometry,” and its community-driven, B Corp-certified mission.
Steven Smith Teamaker
Portland-based Steven Smith Teamaker continues the legacy of its founder — who also launched Stash and Tazo — with small-batch, traceable teas. The brand offers artisanal blends like full-leaf black and herbal infusions, each tied to specific growers around the world.
Lotus Plant Power
From Utah, Lotus Plant Power presented its clean energy beverages featuring the proprietary Plant Power 7™ formula — a blend of adaptogens, amino acids, and natural caffeine. Available in colorful RTD cans and shelf-stable concentrates, the drinks are a café favorite for flavor and function.
Pour Ta Coffee
Laramie, Wyoming-based Pour Ta Coffee offers eco-friendly single-serve pour-over options and co-packing services. Their monthly curated boxes introduce customers to roasters across the U.S., making it easier than ever to explore quality brews in a convenient format.
Hollander Chocolate Co.
This Wisconsin-based company impressed with their Dutch-inspired café sauces, powders, and frappé mixes. Their products—crafted with gourmet ingredients and some Rainforest Alliance Certified—are designed to elevate drinks without compromising quality or sustainability.
Numi Organic Tea
Numi, based in Oakland and founded by siblings Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, stood out for its strong commitment to social and environmental impact. As a B Corp, Numi uses compostable packaging, pays fair trade premiums, and offers unique teas like pu-erh and flowering varieties. “Our goal has always been to nurture people and planet with every sip,” the founders say.
Minor Figures
This UK-born, globally recognized oat milk brand is known for its barista-quality dairy alternatives and quirky, anti-hustle branding. “We’re not that brand that’s like, ‘get up and rise and grind,’” says co-founder Stuart Forsyth. Their oat milk and ready-to-drink lattes are B Corp certified and carbon neutral, and their minimalist aesthetic stood out among the booths.
Gaucha Specialty Coffee
From Brazil’s Cerrado Mineiro region, Gaucha is a family-owned farm producing smooth, nutty single-origin beans. Their sustainable practices — including solar energy, biodigestion, and cover cropping — make them a leader in regenerative farming. Roasters appreciated the farm’s direct trade transparency and flavor consistency.
Vita Coco
Known for coconut water, Vita Coco highlighted its barista-ready coconut milks and expanded beverage portfolio, including caffeinated Boosted and sparkling options. The brand is also pushing sustainability through the Vita Coco Project, which supports farming communities worldwide.
Tropical Açaí
Tropical Açaí showcased its frozen açaí packs and scoops for smoothie shops and juice bars. With organic options and fair trade sourcing from the Amazon, their products hit the sweet spot of wellness and sustainability.
Two Leaves and a Bud
This Colorado-based tea company offered whole-leaf teas in compostable sachets. Their approachable blends like Jasmine Petal and Better Belly Blend are favorites in natural grocers and cafés alike, delivering organic, flavorful options without plastic waste.
The 72 Chocolate Collection
This indulgent yet health-conscious brand merges 72 percent cacao dark chocolate with nutrient-packed baobab. Products like Java Jolt espresso beans and fruit bites are gluten-free, vegan, and keto-friendly. A portion of profits goes to fighting childhood hunger in the U.S.
Maïzly
Launching in early 2025, Maïzly introduced the world’s first corn-based milk. Fortified with fiber and nutrients and suitable for frothing, it’s positioned as a sustainable, allergen-friendly alternative. The product won a Gold Medal at the Plant-Based World Expo.
St. Michel
French heritage brand St. Michel brought classic madeleines and buttery galettes made from cage-free eggs and French wheat. Their Origin France Garantie label reflects a century-old dedication to quality and tradition.
Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC
This Pennsylvania roaster impressed with its solar-powered roasting facility and roast-to-order freshness. The company’s broad product line — coffee, tea, botanicals — caters to both retail customers and wholesale partners with a mission of “Coffee for Everybody.”
Hacco, Inc.
Fusing Japanese tradition and NYC food innovation, Hacco’s koji-based syrups and barista drinks offered a plant-based, no-sugar-added option with complex umami and natural sweetness—already a hit in fine dining and specialty cafés.
PKN
Texas-based PKN is rethinking plant milk with its creamy pecan-based beverages. With products like PKNjoy™ Barista and a zero-sugar version, the brand promotes sustainable, water-efficient agriculture and upcycled ingredients.
Sivetz
Honoring coffee innovator Michael Sivetz, the company showcased its fluid-bed roasting tech. The machines are known for even, clean roasting and are beloved by small-batch roasters focused on flavor precision.
MUD\WTR
Wellness brand MUD\WTR continues to shake up the caffeine world with mushroom-based blends like :rise and :rest. Its brand emphasizes mindfulness and balance over buzz, offering a stylish alternative to the daily coffee grind.
