Meeting Coffee Expectations

Now that we’re all getting used to lockdown restrictions easing, consumers are eagerly incorporating visits to cafés and coffee shops into their day-to-day lives once more – whether that’s part of their daily commute, or a more leisurely weekend brunch.

For the industry, it’s such a relief, but it also reminds us just how sky-high consumer expectations are when it comes to enjoying hot beverages out of home.

This is especially true when you consider how many people have become accustomed to making their own beverages at home during lockdown, meaning that knowledge and expectations have grown exponentially. Now, when consumers visit an establishment, it needs to stand out against the fierce competition on the high street. Consumers want greater choice of hot drinks and increased information about the quality of drinks served.

These soaring consumer expectations are nothing new – previous independent research conducted by BRITA Professiona_l[1]found that the top three factors café operators say have had the biggest business impact in recent years are:

A greater consumer interest in coffee (64%)
The need to have a wider selection of tea and coffee choices available (53%)
The rise in the number of cafés on the high street (48%)

When looking at coffee in particular, half of consumers believe they understand more than ever about the intricacies of making good coffee and how it could be served, and over half say the taste of coffee would make them choose to visit one café over another_[2].

_{[1] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (November 2018)}

_{[2] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (November 2018)}

So, how can baristas ensure their coffee is the highest quality cup after cup and exceed consumer expectations?

Some 84% of coffee shop professionals place unfiltered water as the most important factor for adversely affecting a hot beverage, whether that’s the quality of the water itself or limescale on machinery caused by unfiltered water_[1]. For consumers, the top five elements they believe impact the taste of their coffee order are:

Coffee that’s made with a quality coffee machine 20%
Coffee made with filtered water 18%
Coffee made with artisanal coffee beans 17%
Flavourful aroma 16%
A trained barista made it for me 12%

_{[1] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (November 2018)}

There is no doubt that, as consumer expectations of what makes a quality hot beverage evolve, the pressure is on for operators to stay ahead of the competition and strive to provide the kind of innovative and exciting offering that consumers have come to expect. However, it’s not just the ambience and the choice of brews on offer, consumers are also looking for a greater emphasis on quality.

When it comes to serving an excellent cup time and time again, ensuring your staff have the knowledge to fix and effectively maintain hot beverage equipment is vital. Don’t forget to implement maintenance schedules, so that your water filters are exchanged on time and continue to optimise your water supply.

This is something BRITA Managed Services can help with. We offer tailored packages that can relieve the pressure by supporting operators with preventative maintenance on equipment. By offering advice, monitoring filter usage and carrying out essential filter exchanges, operators can rely on their equipment to have a longer life span and deliver a quality cup of coffee, time and time again.

If you need any support from BRITA with helping you stay on top of your filter exchanges, our team is here to help.

Visit BRITA Managed Services to find out how your business could benefit from a bespoke service package tailored just for you.