This year's Coffee Fest Chicago, already postponed from original late-Jun date to Aug 28-30 at Chicago's Navy Pier, has now been canceled entirely. "In light of both governmental direction and general public health advisories a face-to-face event is not possible at this time with the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation in the State of Illinois," fest organizers told would-be attendees starting yesterday.

Alkaline Water Co said its Apr sales nearly tripled, rising 171% to record $7.1 mil, carried by demand for core line, Alkaline88, across all states and Amazon and other online partners. Meanwhile, innovations like aluminum bottles and A88 Infused flavored water continue to expand their presence, Scottsdale, Ariz-based co reported . . . Brian Pear, former Coca-Cola exec who'd been running Balance Water Co holding for Emil Capital Partners, has joined Push Agency as cmo following short run at Nevada-based boutique spirits house Good Spirits Distributing. Push, which provides brand ambassadors and social media influencers to bevcos and other marketers, has numbered among its clients such bev brands as Celsius, La Croix and Rockstar Energy.

Keurig Dr Pepper ceo Bob Gamgort today offered nuanced view of innovation plans moving forward, indicating that new entries will have to surmount "higher bar" in future at time distributors and retailers have been intent on rationalizing sku's, but that well-thought-out ideas can still thrive. And none of this applies to brewing systems offered by Keurig side of co, he added. "Lower levels of innovation acceptance by retailers does not apply to the brewer segment," he said this morning.

After patient gestation period, Ethan's Functional Shots over past year has stepped on the gas, venturing into energy segment still dominated by declining 5-Hour brand, lately undertaking sweeping rebranding and trying to get its hands around merchandising conundrums that have bedeviled shot category. Here's how Boulder, Colo-based co has navigated these changes.

Covid-19 pandemic hasn't put a complete damper on retail innovation, with pair of intriguing projects moving forward in heartland. In Chicago, pair of partners from grocery royalty are teaming up on chain of urban-focused grocery stores called Dom's Market & Kitchen that will carry specialty and prepared foods and meal kits, starting with store in Lincoln Park nabe next Mar. The founders are Bob Mariano, whose eponymous Mariano's chain now is owned by Kroger, along with Jay Owen, grandson of founder of Dominick's chain and former Mariano's exec Don Fitzgerald, per reports in Crain's Chicago Business and Grocery Dive. They're backed to tune of $10 mil by pair of local VCs. Mariano had created Mariano's banner as ceo of Roundy's, which sold to Kroger in 2015. He retired a year later, serving as an advisor for 2 more years . . . Meanwhile, indy Schnuck Market chain based in St Louis has announced that it's building new concept around former Lucky's Market store that was purchased out of bankruptcy earlier this year. The EatWell store in Columbia, Mo, will open early this summer targeting "consumers prioritizing health and wellness, natural foods and the occasional splurge," per announcement. It also will focus on organic and local items, and feature natural living dept in which staffers are available to assist customers in "choosing options that fit a healthy, balanced lifestyle." The 42K-sq-ft store will augment one of Schnuck's traditional banners in Columbia.

Transition of Bang Energy brand to Pepsi system has continued its eventful run, with backlash building among beer houses after exec managing transition for Bang owner VPX Sports trashed their performance in so-called "fireside" discussion with Jefferies analyst Kevin Grundy. The incident wouldn't hold more than soap-opera-style entertainment value were it not for fact that VPX is seeking to cultivate many of those same wholesalers for its remaining brands, including Redline, a promising extension called Noo-Fusion and CBD entry called Stoked. The wholesalers, many of them from Bud system, already have bridled at manner in which terminations were handled and conditions under which they're sometimes being asked to pick up the new brands. For some, the abuse from VPX exec Mike Sweeney may serve as last straw in convincing them not to continue relationship. Sweeney, formerly at Red Bull, is natl accts vp and point man on transition to Pepsi.

Food & Drug Administration is continuing its accommodative streak amid pandemic, assuring food/bev marketers that it's allowing them to make minor formula changes without updating ingredient list on package so they can better deal with supply chain challenges. In guidance issued Fri agency said mfrs can tinker with minor ingredients amounting to 2% or less of total weight as long as changes don't compromise safety, involve "characterizing" ingredient like raisins in raisin bread, or involve functional or nutrition claim. FDA also is cutting a break to operators of vending machines, saying it "will not object if covered operators do not meet vending machine labeling requirements to provide calorie information for foods sold in the vending machines at this time."

JAB launched offering for JDE Peet's coffee play today, offering institutional investors €2.25 bil of shares at price range of €30 to €32.25 per share, implying market capitalization of €14.9-16 bil. Higher end of range comes to $17.6 bil in US dollars, compared to Starbucks market cap hovering above $91 bil today and Nestle over $300 bil. Trading is anticipated to begin on Euronext Amsterdam exchange next Wed, Jun 3. Quantum Partners LP and Palindrome Master Fund LP, both managed by Soros Fund Management LLC, along with various funds and accounts under management of FMR, and JAB Holdings itself have agreed to purchase shares collectively valued at €761 mil at the final offer price. With those commitments, the IPO "gathered enough investor demand . . . within 3 hours of bookbuilding, a signal that Europe's stalled IPO market is opening up again," Bloomberg reported. The new funds will help fuel further acquisitions as JDE Peet's looks to challenge Starbucks as pure play in coffee.