Starbucks Coffee Company to Acquire the Coffee Equipment Company and Its Revolutionary Clover(R) Brewing System

Not sure what to think about this ... still in shock a bit. Will post more later.

Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire The Coffee Equipment Company and its proprietary Clover(R) brewing system. The Coffee Equipment Company is a privately held coffee equipment developer and manufacturer based in Seattle, Wash. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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Comment by Tim Noble on March 19, 2008 at 6:12pm
The machines are still works of art, but since this news broke, the 'Clover' brand is a steaming pile, and that is not freshly brewed coffee grinds, kiddies.
But, that may be sour grapes.
I see this as an incredibly shrewd attempt to corner the market on a new technology. I'm not even sure if it's totally legal. The patents may no longer be valid under these conditions. (I am not a lawyer, but I sleep with one.)
Comment by Anthony Rue on March 19, 2008 at 6:11pm
yeah, but the customer comments on the starbucks exchange are pretty funny.
Comment by Dave White on March 19, 2008 at 6:02pm
Starbucks Exchange?

oh. Not funny.
Comment by )on Lewis on March 19, 2008 at 5:59pm
...just seems there's a lot of gray area between big corporate buying power and good, well-prepared coffee.
Comment by Mike White on March 19, 2008 at 5:58pm
Comment by Dave White on March 19, 2008 at 5:51pm
Well they have exclusive means to sell them now.
Comment by )on Lewis on March 19, 2008 at 5:50pm
That's a weird question.
Comment by Dave White on March 19, 2008 at 5:47pm
Well as I was saying on Coffeed, I think this is really bad. Mr. Gates I mean Shultz has zero'd in on our bag of tricks.

What if they starting buying up COE Lots.?

Worse yet, when you think about how small a percentage "good" coffees make up, what if they flex muscle and purchase up all the good coffees in the world?
Comment by Mike White on March 19, 2008 at 5:43pm
I'd sell ours back to Howard for $20,000.
Comment by Brady on March 19, 2008 at 5:33pm
OK... stupid question here. Anyone know if another manufacturer is getting in on this game? Every other "extraction system" (espresso machine, drip brewer, etc) has plenty of different manufacturers doing their own version. Surely the set of patents isn't so broad as to preclude a CMA made version. Bound to be a few other Clover-lings in the pipeline somewhere?

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