Top Coffee and Tea Trends of 2024
In 2024, coffee culture will become more enigmatic than ever before. To attract customers, coffee professionals are using unique brewing methods, catering to the ready-to-drink market, and creating extravagant presentations. When tea rose to prominence in 2023, most coffee shops started offering tea lattes, kombucha, and loose-leaf teas. Modern coffee shop food menus are often extensive, events are common, and wine lists aren’t out of place. Perhaps it's time to put the term "coffee shop" to rest in favor of "all-day cafe". From trends affecting the entire foodservice industry to menu trends, discover what you can expect to see emerge in the nonalcoholic beverage industry this year.
Premiumization
While it may seem counterintuitive given rising costs for both customers and operators, premiumization is key to coffee shops' success in 2024. Considering hard economic times, customers want their coffee shop drink to offer a pretty distraction that feels like a treat and looks great in photos. Many customers learned how to make specialty coffee drinks, (ex. Dalgona Coffee) at home during the pandemic, so, if they’re going to spend money at a coffee shop, they want to be served something they cannot create themselves (at least not without great difficulty).
Coffee Food Trucks and Carts
Coffee food trucks and carts have a lower startup cost than opening a coffee shop storefront. During this economically challenging year, mobile vending will allow new entrepreneurs to enter the coffee market, and storefront owners who are having difficulty breaking even can shift to this model to remain profitable. Another benefit of starting a food truck is it allows you to go to your target audience. Park your food truck near college campuses, hospitals, and sports stadiums. You can also set up booths at farmers' markets and other local events.
Hybrid Business Models
Coffee shops that only sell coffee are almost non-existent, and even creative coffee and food pairings aren’t enough to stand out anymore. Many coffee businesses are offering other services like bookstores, Pilates, and sober bars to attract more customers. What's even more cost-effective is to approach an existing business and ask to add a coffee program to their operation. By adding on to a business with a location and core customer base already in place, you can cut your operational costs and reduce the need to advertise.
Tea Bombs
Tea bombs are a blend of tea and botanicals encased within a dissolvable, isomalt sugar shell. When hot water is poured over the sugar globe, it dissolves and adds sweetness to the beverage while enabling the tea ingredients to steep. With their captivating visual appeal and unique flavor profiles, tea bombs have taken TikTok by storm and become a huge hit among tea enthusiasts. Coffee shops and tea bars will be creating a luxurious experience for their customers by adding tea bombs to their menus in 2024.
Themed Pop-Up Events
Operators are embellishing the aesthetic of their coffee shop and coming up with creative menu items for themed pop-ups and events. Themed pop-ups, like transforming your business into Central Perk from the sitcom Friends, can draw huge crowds, especially if it's advertised on TikTok and other social media platforms. To be successful, play into pop culture with cult followings. Examples are offering a Hobbit Day menu on September 22nd, a Star Wars theme on May 4th, or playing into fall vibes by creating a Gilmore Girls-inspired Stars Hollow Fall Festival pop-up. These events are also great opportunities to sell themed, branded merchandise.
Floral Tisanes
Floral flavors like jasmine, rose, lavender, hibiscus, and eucalyptus are expected to experience steady growth in the year 2024 according to Jaime Lynn Lawrence, an R&D application scientist at Flavor Insights. This projection is based on the ever-increasing demand for health and wellness products among consumers. Since the rise of tea is dually motivated by its artfulness and health benefits, floral tisanes align perfectly with both motivating factors. Lavender is known for its calming properties, while hibiscus is rich in antioxidants. Floral teas also create a luxurious feeling, especially when garnished with edible flowers.
Cold Foam
According to Texas Coffee School, cold coffee drinks outnumber hot coffee drinks year-round, and they’re a favorite amongst Gen Z. Cold foam has gained celebrity status alongside the trend towards cold coffee. Cold foam turns cold brew into a gourmet beverage that rivals lattes and cappuccinos. Coffee shops will continue to come up with creative cold foam flavors to enhance their iced coffees and cold brews. Cold foam can act as a pillowy shelf to hold sprinkled-on sweet treats like cookie crumbles, spices, and chopped candies, creating Instagram-worthy drinks.
DIY Tea Blends
As tea continues to gain traction with Gen Z, a creative trend is to offer patrons the opportunity to build their own tea blend. Customers can choose from different types of tea and tisane ingredients to create a DIY tea blend that suits their personal flavor preferences. Operators can either brew their customers' DIY tea or sell it for them to take home. Patrons increasingly want to customize their beverages, and they also are looking for unique experiences when they go out. DIY tea blends are an excellent way to capture both trends and fulfill consumer preferences.
Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru coffee has become an increasingly popular option for busy Americans on the go. Statistics reveal that a staggering 50 percent of Americans now prefer to get their coffee from drive-thru operations. This trend is driven by the convenience and speed that an efficient drive-thru offers. With this significant demand, many coffee shops are adding drive-thrus or even adopting a drive-thru-only business model.
Blue Moon Thai Tea
Blue moon Thai tea is a trendy and refreshing beverage that will gain mainstream popularity in 2024. This unique drink is a blend of butterfly pea tea, black tea, and sweetened condensed milk, giving it a creamy and slightly sweet flavor. Blue moon Thai tea is often served over ice and topped with boba pearls. Its vibrant blue hue and delicious flavor have blue moon Thai tea trending in coffee shops as well as traditional boba businesses.
What Is Driving 2024's Coffee and Tea Industry Trends?
Digital exposure to trends, a post-pandemic mindset shift, and the economic climate are the key drivers behind the coffee and tea industry trends in 2024. The public is highly engaged with social media; the average daily time spent on social media apps is 3.5 hours in America, which equates to 1,300 hours a year according to a Uswitch study. Subsequently, consumers are exposed to a plethora of information and trends, shaping their preferences and choices. Another driving force is the lasting fallout from the pandemic which created a mindset shift towards prioritizing health, wellness, and sustainability. This shift has led to an increased demand for specialty and functional beverages, such as herbal teas and organic, single-origin coffee. Lastly, the economic climate plays a crucial role, as businesses adapt to changing consumer behaviors and preferences while navigating the challenges posed by supply chain disruptions and rising costs.
1. Digital Exposure: In our digital age, we are exposed to countless trends, cultural traditions, and information throughout the day. Customers expect the same breadth of options and creativity in their reality as they see online.
2. Post-Pandemic Mindset Shift: In a post-pandemic world, the consumer desires either convenience or experiential foodservice experiences they can’t get at home.
3. Economic Climate: Many of these innovations are driven by the resourcefulness of operators working to stay afloat. With rising costs, coffee professionals must be strategic in how they operate and increase the perceived value of their services.
Long gone are the days when coffee shops just offered classic coffee drinks. While traditional cappuccinos and lattes were once luxuries, they've become commonplace. From changes in operational practices to menu trends, reference back to our list of the top coffee and tea industry trends of 2024 to increase your profit margins. Read our roundup of relevant restaurant industry statistics for a comprehensive view of the current state of the foodservice industry.
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