FSR September 2022

TRENDING ON THE MENU // Coffee and Tea

for example. And even if you stick to a sin gle format, the preparation is highly auto mated, so there’s a labor-saving aspect. It’s an operational no-brainer.” Operators can improve the labor equation even further by using prod ucts designed to cut down on extraneous steps, making preparation as straight forward as possible. Restaurants that sell

is another story. “Customers are very particular about their coffee and tea,” Bowron says. “The taste of the product is the foundation of your whole program. The way tomake money on coffee and tea is by selling more of it. You can’t cheapen the quality of the product—if customers get bitter coffee or weak tea, they won’t order another cup, and you’ve hurt your

Among other emerging coffee trends, cold brew is seemingly here to stay. Menu penetration has increased by 245 per cent over the last four years, and nitro coffee—in which cold brew is infused with nitrogen gas—is up by 446 percent. “Cold brew and nitro are growing at a rate we haven’t seen in the coffee category for decades,” Bowron says. Cold coffee varieties, including iced coffee and cold brew, grant operators more flexibility to menu across dayparts, and they are espe cially popular among Gen Z. According to the NPDGroup, Gen Z consumers are more likely than any other generation to order cold coffee varieties. In fact, six in 10 Gen Z coffee servings are cold. Coffee and tea feed the desire for cus tomization—an overarching phenome non of the last few years that is revital izing in the wake of the pandemic, and preferred by younger generations. “Coffee and tea are very personal beverages,” Bowron says. “There are so many different f lavors and formats.” Customers enjoy adding their favorite classic mix-ins like syrups and cream, and new non-traditional varieties are on the rise. Plant milks, especially oat milk, were almost non-existent on menus a few years ago. Today, according to Datas sential, 36 percent of all U.S. consumers have tried oat milk. Right now, consumers also want their beverages to be functional—to support their health and wellness, give an energy boost, or carry some other benefit. Coffee and tea are well-posi tioned here. “Both coffee and tea are inherently good for you,” Bowron says. “We’re also seeing recipes that add nat urally functional ingredients like tur meric or pomegranate, which is a great way to highlight the overall functional ity of the beverage.” Ultimately, great coffee and tea incor porated thoughtfully into the menu pro vide an incentive for restaurant guests to increase their spend—and return for another visit. “Consumers are looking for something they won’t be able to make at home,” Bowron says. “Restaurants can succeed with beverages that stand out for their uniqueness.”

“Customers are very particular about their coffee and tea. The taste of the product is the foundation of your whole program.”

RED DIAMOND THE NATIONAL COFFEE ASSOCIATION RECENTLY FOUND THAT SPECIALTY COFFEE BEVERAGES CONSTITUTE 62 PERCENT OF ALL CUPS CONSUMED IN THE PAST DAY.

a lot of sweet tea, for example, under stand that consistency is important, but measuring, adding, and stirring sugar in the urn can be a lot of work. Red Dia mond Simple Sweet Tea allows staff to brew and sweeten at the same time— pure cane sugar is premixed in the fil ter pack with the black tea. “Our Simple Sweet Tea is a quick way for restaurants to reduce labor strain,” Bowron says. “It produces a premium, consistent prod uct, and it helps operators avoid having to train and retrain staff.” Cutting corners on quality, however,

self in the long run.” High-end specialty coffee like Red Diamond’s High Altitude Premium Coffee line also creates upsell opportunities. The National Coffee Asso ciation recently found that specialty cof fee beverages represent 62 percent of all cups consumed in the past day. Offered in three-ounce fraction packs to maintain quality, the High Altitude line includes single-origin varieties. By telling the origin stories of specialty products, operators can enhance the experience of the product for restau rant guests—and build margins.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | SPONSORED CONTENT

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