Are celebrity endorsements hurting the coffee industry?

Anay Mridul assesses the relationship between celebrities and coffee brands, exploring whether enough is being done to ensure they leave a positive mark on the industry.

At this year’s Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston, among the thousands of baristas, roasters, and industry professionals, there was a standout attendee: American NBA star Jimmy Butler.

The 32-year-old Miami Heat player was there to promote his coffee brand, BigFace, which launched last year. Through its partnership with ecommerce platform Shopify, it sells specialty coffee blends, RTD cans, and branded merchandise.

“We just want to shake up this whole coffee space and do things differently,