A new specialty coffee research and consulting firm, Furthers & Betters, has officially launched with a stated mission to enhance consumer understanding within the industry. Founded by seasoned consumer researcher Cheryl Hung and veteran coffee industry strategist Brian Gaffney, the firm aims to move beyond product-centric analysis and delve into the motivations, behaviors, and preferences of coffee consumers. Furthers & Betters will offer both syndicated and custom research services, coupled with strategic consulting designed to translate data-driven insights into actionable business plans for coffee businesses of all sizes.
The establishment of Furthers & Betters comes at a pivotal moment for the specialty coffee sector, which has experienced significant growth and increasing consumer sophistication. While the industry is lauded for its deep passion and expertise in coffee cultivation, processing, and brewing, Hung and Gaffney assert that a critical area often receives less focused attention: the end consumer.
"The industry has developed extraordinary product expertise because it’s full of people who are deeply passionate about coffee itself – and we need those people," Hung and Gaffney stated in a joint communication with Daily Coffee News. "But when so much attention is concentrated on the product, there’s a risk that understanding the consumer receives less attention."
This gap, they explained, is particularly noticeable when compared to larger corporations in other consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail sectors, which typically maintain dedicated teams for consumer intelligence. The proprietary nature of much of this in-house research often leaves smaller and medium-sized businesses in the specialty coffee world operating with less comprehensive data.
"Without access to that kind of consumer understanding, many businesses are left to make decisions based on intuition, experience, or educated guesses," Hung and Gaffney continued. "Furthers & Betters exists to help close that gap by making relevant consumer intelligence more accessible, affordable, and actionable across the specialty coffee industry."
Founders Bring Complementary Expertise
The leadership team behind Furthers & Betters brings a formidable combination of analytical rigor and industry-specific acumen. Cheryl Hung boasts over two decades of experience in market research, a tenure that includes leading significant consumer reports for influential organizations such as the National Coffee Association (NCA) and the Coffee Association of Canada (CAC). Her background equips her with a deep understanding of consumer trends, survey methodologies, and the interpretation of complex data sets.
Brian Gaffney complements Hung’s research expertise with extensive experience in strategic consulting and industry leadership. He spent over a decade guiding corporate clients at PwC, a global professional services firm, where he honed his skills in business strategy, operational efficiency, and market analysis. More recently, Gaffney served as the inaugural Chief Experience Officer for Caravela Coffee, a prominent green coffee company, where he focused on enhancing customer engagement and business development. He also holds a significant role as the U.S. coordinator for the Slow Food Coffee Coalition, underscoring his commitment to ethical and sustainable practices within the coffee value chain.
"Our backgrounds are highly complementary," the founders emphasized. "Cheryl specializes in uncovering what consumers think, feel, and do; Brian specializes in turning that understanding into options and actions." This synergistic approach is central to the firm’s value proposition, aiming to not only identify consumer needs but also to provide concrete strategies for businesses to meet them.
Strategic Approach to Consumer Intelligence
The core offering of Furthers & Betters will revolve around two primary pillars: syndicated research and custom consulting. The syndicated research program, set to launch with a quarterly report series, will provide broad industry insights that can benefit a wide range of stakeholders. The inaugural syndicated product will be a comprehensive consumer segmentation study, scheduled for release in January 2027, following a virtual preview event in October 2026. This study is expected to categorize consumers based on their coffee-drinking habits, purchasing motivations, brand perceptions, and demographic characteristics, offering a granular view of the specialty coffee market.
Custom research services will cater to the specific needs of individual clients, allowing businesses to delve into particular questions or challenges they face. This could involve in-depth market analysis, competitive landscape assessments, product development feedback, or customer satisfaction studies. The integration of consulting services ensures that the data gathered is not merely presented but actively applied to inform business decisions, from marketing campaigns and product innovation to operational improvements and market expansion strategies.
The potential client base for Furthers & Betters is broad, encompassing specialty coffee roasters and brands, independent cafes and multi-location retailers, coffee equipment manufacturers, green coffee importers and exporters, industry associations, and investors seeking to understand market dynamics and opportunities. The initial focus of the consumer research will be on the United States and Canadian markets, reflecting the significant presence of specialty coffee culture in these regions.
Founding Partner Program and Future Outlook
To foster early engagement and collaboration, Furthers & Betters is introducing a "Founding Research Partner" program. This exclusive initiative, limited to 50 participants, will offer an annual subscription rate of $2,500. Founding partners will gain early access to the quarterly research reports, receive dedicated resources for interpreting findings, and benefit from preferential rates on custom research projects. This program is designed to build a community of forward-thinking businesses committed to data-driven growth.
Following this introductory period, the standard annual subscription rate for syndicated research will increase to $3,300, effective January 1, 2027. Individual reports will be available for $600 during the 2026 launch period, with a price adjustment to $800 in 2027. This tiered pricing strategy aims to make valuable consumer intelligence accessible at various investment levels.
The company’s founders articulated the underlying principle driving their business model: "While our clients may sit in different parts of specialty coffee, the common question is the same: how can better consumer understanding help them make smarter decisions?" This question, they believe, is the engine of progress and sustainability within the industry.
The Name "Furthers & Betters": A Philosophy of Refinement
The name "Furthers & Betters" itself encapsulates the firm’s core philosophy, drawing inspiration from a line in the British television detective series Endeavour. In the series, a detective character uses the phrase "furthers and betters" to describe the process of seeking additional information to achieve greater accuracy and a more complete understanding of a situation.
"That idea immediately resonated with us," the founders explained. "In many ways, that’s exactly what we believe specialty coffee needs: additional information that helps us see the consumer more clearly and make smarter, data-driven decisions about how to create and capture value." This metaphor highlights the iterative nature of insight generation and strategic refinement, a process crucial for navigating the dynamic landscape of consumer preferences and market trends.
The launch of Furthers & Betters signifies a potential paradigm shift for the specialty coffee industry, offering a dedicated resource to bridge the gap between product excellence and consumer comprehension. By providing accessible, actionable intelligence, the firm aims to empower businesses to not only survive but thrive in an increasingly competitive and discerning market. The success of their initiative will likely be measured by the extent to which their insights translate into tangible improvements in business performance and a deeper, more resonant connection between coffee brands and the people who enjoy their products.
