Foodservice -Coffee Today

A sense of awareness and a growing demand is percolating among coffee drinkers. The mentality of a good hot cup of coffee to get you going when you need it has evolved into much more of an experience than just a caffeine boost. Coffee seems to be hot even if it is served chilled or on the rocks. The flavored-coffee craze started around 35 years ago, when people started adding shots of Irish-cream and hazelnut-flavored liqueurs to their coffee. People liked the flavor but not everyone wanted the alcohol that came along with it. It was in the eighties that Kraft Foods developed the General Foods International Coffees introduced and originated the concept. Although the consumer received the International Coffees well in the beginning, it seemed to fizzle out rather quickly. Everyone was inspired by the fun commercials, and Kraft changed the stigma of coffee from a strong bitter drink, to be perceived more as a hot chocolate or confection type beverage. In doing so, they broadened the customer category to more females as well as a younger consumer base. For many years however, “serious” coffee drinkers only drank the straight bean; some reverently stating they only drink “real coffee”. Nobody else could quite capture the idea well enough to sustain America’s interest, so we moved on to herbal teas for a brief stint. Although there are still some folks who enjoy herbal teas, the majority of society trended back to coffee in its original form. In the late 90’s, we started exploring again. This time, marketing focused on a lesser American segment of the hot beverage. Cappucino, hot in the European market, was less of an interest to us. Gradually, with some sweeter flavors such as French vanilla and mocha, the softer palettes again showed some interest that has seemingly stayed with us. Once the demand for these flavored cappucinos took off, the coffee leaders decided it was time to re-introduce flavored coffees. This time, we were ready to for it. Dunkin’ Donuts® and Starbucks® are obvious leaders in this trend. They forged ahead in bravery before society was ready to truly embrace the flavors and different mediums of the favorite hot drink. Thankfully they did not give up through the cappuccino craze, and now America is enjoying flavored coffee again like never before. Not only is this good news for those of us who like the occasional break from a straight bean brew, but it also opens up a tremendous avenue of opportunity for the foodservice industry. It has not happen very often that a new idea or item would offer so many ways to increase our sales. According to some of the major foodservice manufacturers, coffee consumption is expected to grow six percent this decade. Specialty coffees such as flavored coffees, cappuccinos, and lattes continue to entice new consumers, especially those between 25 and 34 years old. Coffee offers a tremendous opportunity to extend coffee sales beyond the more popular day parts of breakfast and dessert. By adding coffee flavors to your menu selection, you are inviting a whole new customer type to spend their money. There is more good new, the customers who are driving this flavor-bursting trend are accustomed to paying a great deal more for their “special” cup of joe. They are used to paying top dollar at the national providers of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, so the road has already been paved for us to charge substantially more than an ordinary cup of coffee. Additionally, the cup of flavored coffee is not a breakfast only option but a favorite mid-day snack substitute and frequent late day into the evening treat. Not only are we able to ride the coattails of the national chains pricing structure, we can also capitalize on their marketing campaigns as well particularly the seasonal blasts they finance on a national level. This time of year is the best in generating hot beverage sales, so there is no better time for you to consider some new flavor profiles for your menu offering. In the winter months we can capture our customers mood with holiday spices like pumpkin and cinnamon, as well as nutty profiles such as hazelnut and toasted almond. This is about the third coffee season that these flavors have continued to win out as favorites and carry sales during the winter months. The fact that we have a solid history to refer to for trends, could indicate that this time flavors are here to stay. Beverage continues to be a most profitable category for all foodservice operations.