How Keurig Kept Brewing When Pods Got Stuck

In 2025, Keurig Dr Pepper faced an existential supply chain crisis: one of its two single-use pod factories was idled for five months after a fire. The company sourced 90 percent of its coffee pods from that plant. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through how Keurig rerouted production, secured emergency inventory from competitors, and renegotiated shelf-space contracts with retailers before the holiday season. They draw on specific numbers — including Keurig's 40 percent market share in single-serve coffee, the 12-week inventory buffer that nearly ran dry, and the 200 basis point margin hit that was smaller than analysts feared. The conversation also touches on broader lessons for any company reliant on concentrated manufacturing: the cost of single-source risk, the value of pre-existing competitor relationships, and why 'make more inventory' isn't always the right answer. A tight case study in crisis logistics from a brand you'd never expect to see on this show. #Keurig #KeurigDrPepper #SupplyChainCrisis #ManufacturingRisk #InventoryManagement #CoffeeIndustry #SingleSourceRisk #BusinessContinuity #CrisisManagement #OperationsStrategy #RetailNegotiations #CompetitorCollaboration #Logistics #PodFulfillment #Business #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #Fexingo Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo