Mark Warmuth owns the M.E. Swing Coffee Company in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington. He says big coffee sellers like Starbucks help his business by building a base of customers who want something better.

MARK WARMUTH: “They’re seeking something that would be better than what they can buy at Starbucks. They’re seeking out smaller, boutique, artisan, craft coffee roasters, which I consider us to be, a boutique coffee roasting company. What we can do is source better quality beans and supply them at a fresher level because we’re smaller and we can cater to the smaller metro area. That helps us compete with bigger companies.”

Yet Mr. Warmuth can thank those bigger companies like Starbucks for spreading the idea of coffee as an affordable luxury. The thinking goes that during hard times, people might not go on a trip but they might be willing to pay extra for good coffee.

The company supplies restaurants and other businesses, but also has a store in Washington near the White House. Customers pay thirteen dollars for less than half a kilogram of beans -- about double the price of other brands.

Greater demand for high-quality coffee has helped drive coffee prices higher. That includes greater demand among Brazilians. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of coffee.

People in India are also drinking more coffee. Starbucks just announced plans to enter that market in a deal with India's Tata Coffee company.