Bonji Foods Aficionado Smart Brief: Volume 39
Hi all, welcome back to the Bonji Food Aficionado Smart Brief! We hope the weekend treated you well and you are ready for a new week full of new opportunities! When you think about trends, you usually expect them to come and go like any other fad. However, trends can be stretched out over the course of many years, and some even break into the mainstream to stay forever. That's how the coffee industry and ourselves here at Bonji Foods feel about cold brew. If you haven't been introduced to cold brew yet, strap in and get ready because we have some news for you.
The Fascination With Cold Brews Iced Coffee has been around for hundreds of years, all around the globe, but the process of and term cold brew coffee stems back to the 1960s. Todd Simpson invented the Toddy Brewing System after being introduced to the cold brew process in Peru, yet it didn't gain popularity in America until the 1990s. Although this may seem like the distant past, cold brew is just now skyrocketing. Cold brew alone is expected to continue growing at an estimated 24% annual rate through 2025 and has been leading coffee's category growth for the past few years. These numbers include both fresh and ready-to-drink (RTD) options, with the market having plenty of room for new players. Truthfully, this trend is something that any coffee company should be keeping a close eye on. The growth can be attested to its easy brewing process, stability in the market, and excellent flavor.
Not only is fresh cold brew booming, but also packaged cold brew has been taking over the beverage market. The market share has only just recently begun diversifying. For many years, Starbucks and other major companies were dominating the RTD cold brew area. Now, we are seeing new players making massive splashes in the industry. Companies such as Nitro Beverage, Stok, Death Wish, Chameleon, and many more have been eating away at shelve space. So why is cold brew so popular? Well, there are many reasons but we can start with the idea that iced coffee is just too watered down. When you need to get going, iced coffee just doesn't always cut it. Another potential reason could be the natural sweetness of the cold brew, which means no artificial sweeteners or sugars! By the way, we just released our cold brew coffee review on YouTube, be sure to leave a comment with your favorite! If you are still on the fence about adding a cold brew to your menu, here are some consumer statistics that may help persuade you:
Millennials love cold brew! In fact, 45% of this demographic is interested in trying cold brew and it’s often preferred over iced coffee.
Customers drink cold brews all day long. It’s delicious and appealing to customers throughout the day, increasing your potential for sales after the morning rush. In fact, while 22% of customers enjoy cold brews for breakfast or morning beverages, up to 30% prefer cold brews around lunchtime.
Minimal equipment is needed. You don’t need to invest in fancy or expensive brewing machines to offer cold brew to customers — it just takes quality coffee, a steeping filter, and a storage container.
