To support chain operators in the commercial segment, Kerry introduces its second educational article. Focused on translating specialty coffee trends in quick service chains, this article is centered on coffee, cold brew, and handcrafted nonalcoholic beverages.

Although statistics show Americans are drinking less coffee, consumers are spending more money on specialty coffee today than ever before. Coffee drinkers are increasingly more willing to pay higher price points for high-quality, fair-trade coffee. In fact, Americans are projected to spend 13.6 billion dollars on coffee in 2016.

“Our data shows that now is the perfect time for QSR operators to dive into the world of specialty coffee,” says Brenda Renee Turner, marketing director of beverage brands for Kerry. “We hope this article helps busy QSR operators develop a specialty coffee menu uniquely tailored to their operation and consumer preferences.”

In addition to data and consumer research, Kerry cites real life examples from a variety of internal flavor specialists, key influencers in the coffee industry, and culinary experts such as Chef Jorge Cespedes of Food IQ. Jorge says that cold brew is the number one coffee trend for QSRs to watch.

“The point of cold brew is not just cold coffee, it is flavor-packed, adventurous coffee,” Jorge says. “A great example of this is Starbucks’ new campaign for cold brew coffee in small batches. They make sure people know that it’s small batched and prepared by a barista—those are two strong key words that give mass production coffee more of a house-made feel.”