MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – In 2026, coffee products hold a higher price-tag than they used to.
Contrast Coffee Company is well known across the U.P. with locations in Marquette, Negaunee, Iron Mountain, Ironwood and Iron River. This year also marks 10 years of their hard work.
Over those years, Contrast has grown to obtain its coffee beans from import companies in New York and Minneapolis, who receive those beans directly from their producers in southern countries. As coffee is on a specialty grade scale, Contrast is fortunate to pull between 90 to 100-grade products.
Co-Owner Nancy Cheney says in the past few years, they’ve seen a spike in import prices, especially following initial tariff effects in 2025.
“Most coffee beans right now are double or even triple what they were a few years ago,” she said. “Sometimes, this depends on where you’re getting the coffee from. For instance, we’ve had a hard time sourcing Brazilian coffees because they’ve been hit harder with tariffs.”
Higher prices on each pound, next to statewide wage increases have led some Michigan coffee shops to make slight adjustments in their prices. Although these are likely small differences, Cheney says they are still noticeable.
“Some people recognize 10 cents or 25 cents when they’re ready with their five dollar bill and now their coffee is $5.25,” she explained. “Even if it’s spread out over thousands and thousands of cups of coffee, it’s still impactful to everyone along the chain.”
Kicking off Saturday morning, Contrast will be one of 12 coffee shops participating in the 8th annual Marquette Coffee Crawl, where proceeds will go towards the Marquette Women’s Center for sexual assault awareness month.
