Coffee Trends and the Future of the Coffee Industry

Key Coffee Trends Every Cafe Owner Must Be Aware Of

Millions of people worldwide start their day with a refreshing cup of coffee, but the world of coffee is evolving from a simple cup of joy. The tastes and preferences of coffee lovers are evolving rapidly and as a cafe owner, you must be aware of these coffee trends to attract new customers and keep regulars coming back for more.

This blog explains the key trends in the coffee industry that we can see right now and that will continue in the next decade. These insights will brew up fresh opportunities for your business and help it grow optimally.

1. Speciality Coffee Experience

Speciality coffees are made from the highest quality coffee beans. These coffee beans have a complex flavour profile depending on the region they are sourced from. With a rising interest in high-quality coffee among urbanites and people with disposable income, the demand for specialty coffee has increased significantly.

Speciality coffee beans are more expensive than regular coffee as the conditions required to grow them are quite rare. If you are an owner of an artisan coffee house or high-end cafe, offering single-origin and micro-lot coffees can attract high-networth customers and coffee enthusiasts. Marimbula by FSIPL offers a range of syrup flavours for cafes that can add extra twist to these coffees like peach, cantaloupe, and cherry.

2. Ready-to-drink (RTD) Coffee

In this fast-paced world, convenience is the key to maximising sales. As a result, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffees have exploded in popularity over the last few years. RTD coffee is prepackaged and customers can just come in, grab a bottle, and be on their way. So, RTDs are only to be sold at a grocery store or mart, so why should a cafe owner know about it? Well, by creating an RTD coffee brand based on your cafe’s menu, you can attract a young demographic while also marketing your brand. You can use bottled flavours lile Espresso, Lemon Tea, Lychee Tea, and Peach Tea to manufacture on a commercial scale.

3. Vegan-Milk Coffee

Vegan is one of the most popular buzzwords of the last decade and the trend is continuing. A large chunk of the population is following a vegan lifestyle but still wants their coffee. The solution? Vegan milk! Almond, soy, and coconut milk have all been popular for some time, while options like macadamia, hemp, and pea milk are slowly gaining popularity.

These options are perfect for lactose intolerant as well as environmentally friendly customers. Offering such options to your customers will help you distinguish your cafe as environmentally conscious and progressive. This helps to attract a diverse group of customers.

4. Whipped Coffee

Whipped coffee, also known as Dalgona coffee, gained immense popularity on the internet during the pandemic and remains popular for its unique texture and look. This type of coffee is perfect for cafes looking to serve something that is visually appealing and could be shared on social media.

Cafe owners can also offer customised whipped coffee in flavours like vanilla and yoghurt. Whipped coffee increases the odds of sharing your cafe’s name and location on social media, increasing your reach. This increases your online presence and audience engagement and helps to build an online community.

5. Sustainability

Sustainability remains one of the most important trends in the coffee industry and has evolved into an expectation from modern customers. With the impact of climate change and resource depletion felt by everyone, many customers are focusing on how sustainable their coffee is. As a result, customers, on average, choose cafes that ensure them that their coffee is sourced sustainably.

As a cafe, you can implement sustainability by sourcing coffee beans from local farmers. This reduces the strain on already over-cultivated lands while also reducing transportation costs and emissions. Additionally, you can serve coffee in reusable cups and reduce kitchen wastage. As the leading HoReCa company in India, we provide training assistance to your kitchen staff on how to reduce waste and become more sustainable.

6. Functional Beverage

A morning cup of coffee to make you feel refreshed and energised is just not going to cut it. Functional beverages add new ingredients to the classic mix, adding health-boosting benefits to traditional coffee offerings. While coffee has always been associated with alleviating tiredness and sleepiness, adding certain recipes that add cumin, cinnamon, and ginger powder can boost collagen production, skin health, and cognitive function.

Marketing functional beverages as health and immunity boosters can attract more customers to your cafe. If you own a modern cafe that caters to a young adult demographic, adding functional beverages to your menu will help to get more customers.

7. Personalised Coffee

Large coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts have popularised the concept of personalised coffee, over the last few decades. Now, customers expect it to be the norm instead of a speciality. You must let customers choose each ingredient, from coffee beans to the type of milk, and place a customised order.

You can train your baristas to ask customers how they want their coffee and what options are available. Adding personalised flavours in the drinks to create unique flavoured coffee like Passion Fruit, Butterscotch, and Roasted Hazelnut coffees. You can also add a personalised note on each cup to enhance the chances of the photo being shared on social media.

8. Global Tastes

With a rapid shift towards globalisation and access to social media, people are more aware of global trends than ever before. As a result, customers are now looking for exotic flavours from all over the globe right at their local coffee shop.

As a reputed food products manufacturer in the Indian HoReCa industry, we help cafes and restaurants all over the country expand their menu. We bring you the exotic flavours from all over the world including Irish Cream, Kiwi, and Sangria Blanc, and customise ingredients according to your local markets and customer preferences.

What FSIPL Offers for Cafés?

FSIPL’s Marimbula range is at the forefront of flavour innovation, designed to meet the diverse and evolving needs of café owners. Here’s what we bring to the table:

1. A Diverse Flavour Range

2. Versatility Across Applications

These flavours are crafted to work seamlessly across a variety of beverages, from traditional hot drinks like cappuccino, americano, and latte to more creative offerings, including alcoholic beverages like Irish cream coffee.

3. Cold Coffee Innovations

Take your café’s cold coffee game to the next level with our innovative Coffee Frappe. For even more creativity, explore the newly introduced Yoghurt Frappe and Cooler Mix, enabling cafés to craft diverse, refreshing beverage menus.

Marimbula’s café segment flavours empower you to delight your customers and stay ahead of the competition with a rich, customisable beverage experience.

Conclusion

Coffee is a growing industry, and customers are looking for more than just a humble cup of coffee. Customers with exotic tastes and disposable income like to indulge in specialty coffee, made from rare coffee beans. On the other hand, with the rising interest in climate change and sustainability, customers are now switching to vegan milk and sustainably grown coffee beans. The internet has also played a vital part in popularising concepts like functional beverages, personalised coffee, and whipped coffee. Knowing about these ideas and implementing them in your cafe helps to stay ahead of the trends and maximise your profitability. If you need any help in implementing these ideas, get in touch with Food Service India today.

Piyush Chhaochharia

Piyush Chhaochharia

Piyush Chhaochharia is the Vice President of Food Services India Pvt Ltd. He has a great sense of entrepreneurship, steadfast commitment, and passion for quality in the food sector. Piyush has played a pivotal role in transforming Food Services India Pvt Ltd into a leading food products supplier, offering a diverse range of high-quality products and services to customers across India. With a background in organizations like PwC and True North, he has played a key role in growing the business and expanding the product portfolio. An avid reader and fitness enthusiast, Piyush continues to drive the company's growth and success.