A billion-dollar brouhaha between Starbucks and Kraft over supermarket coffee sales is turning into the venti latte of corporate divorces — with a double shot of espresso and extra foam.

On Monday, Kraft took the fight to court, asking a federal judge in Manhattan to stop Starbucks from breaking the 12-year partnership under which Kraft distributes Starbucks' packaged coffees, including whole beans and ground coffee, to grocery stores and other retailers.

The war of words has been escalating for days, as the two sides traded charges and countercharges. Kraft claims that Starbucks unilaterally decided to end their agreement, and Starbucks says that Kraft failed to aggressively promote its brands, which include Seattle's Best Coffee, in stores. The bitterness has also spilled into the fast-growing market for single-serve coffee machines, with Kraft accusing Starbucks of undermining sales of its Tassimo coffee system ahead of the peak holiday season.

For the complete New York Times story, click here.

A billion-dollar brouhaha between Starbucks and Kraft over supermarket coffee sales is turning into the venti latte of corporate divorces — with a double shot of espresso and extra foam.

On Monday, Kraft took the fight to court, asking a federal judge in Manhattan to stop Starbucks from breaking the 12-year partnership under which Kraft distributes Starbucks' packaged coffees, including whole beans and ground coffee, to grocery stores and other retailers.

The war of words has been escalating for days, as the two sides traded charges and countercharges. Kraft claims that Starbucks unilaterally decided to end their agreement, and Starbucks says that Kraft failed to aggressively promote its brands, which include Seattle's Best Coffee, in stores. The bitterness has also spilled into the fast-growing market for single-serve coffee machines, with Kraft accusing Starbucks of undermining sales of its Tassimo coffee system ahead of the peak holiday season.

For the complete New York Times story, click here.