You know you want to open a coffee shop, but you’re not sure what products your business should offer. Wondering what coffee shop menu items are in highest demand? Learn what’s hot—and what’s not—so you can make a menu that’ll keep customers coming back.
Often confused with iced coffee, cold brew is actually very different. Iced coffee is brewed with hot water and then cooled down and poured over ice when served. Cold brew is brewed with cold water. This different technique is meant to bring out the natural flavors of the coffee beans.
As one of the latest crazes in the coffee industry, cold brew is only going to grow its appeal. The market is projected to be valued at $944.16 million by 2025. Popular among Millennials, cold brew is a smoother, sweeter brew of coffee, giving it a wonderful flavor. Also less acidic, cold brew makes for a nice alternative to hot coffee – and an important addition to any coffee shop menu.
Pumpkin spice, anyone? Seasonal drinks are something people look forward to every year. So much that pumpkin spice makes its way back to coffee shop menus as early as August! As seasons change, customers can anticipate their favorite specialty menu items making an appearance. At Christmas time it’s common to see peppermint, gingerbread, and eggnog coffee flavors.
Seasonal flavors also go beyond drinks! When drumming up coffee shop menu ideas, it’s important to not forget about accompanying food options with your customer’s coffee. When you tap into the flavors of the season, it would be wise to have those same flavors available in your food items.
While we’re on the topic, you should also have a coffee shop food menu. You don’t need to offer anything extravagant but be sure to have options for people to add to their coffee order. Your menu should include hot items like oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, and breakfast burritos in addition to fresh bakery items like muffins, donuts, and cinnamon buns.
Providing enticing food items allows your coffee shop to become a one-stop-shop for your customers. They’ll be able to get a full breakfast – or midday pick me up – and go about their day feeling satiated. At Scooter’s Coffee®, we’re always experimenting and adding new food items to the menu. Keeping our offerings fresh with a variety of items keeps customers engaged and coming back to our locations.
In addition to coffee drinks, among your coffee shop items should be teas, hot chocolate, and smoothies. As popular as coffee is, not everyone wants coffee all the time. Also ideal for parents stopping in with kids, having different options for drinks can suit the whole family.
Recently, matcha tea has become wildly popular. Packed with antioxidants, those looking for a healthier way to get their caffeine may opt for a matcha tea or latte.
Also made popular recently, offering plant-based milks is a great way to reach a broader customer base. Providing plant-based options like soy, almond, oat, coconut, and now even sesame allows you to cater to those who may have certain dietary needs or who may lead a vegan lifestyle. It’s reported that plant-based milks will make up 30% of all milk bought by 2026.
Huge among the younger generations, fair trade coffee is incredibly important to consider as you pull together your coffee shop menu ideas. Not only is it ethically responsible for you to only use properly sourced coffee beans, but it is also a great marketing point when communicating with customers. People like to know that they are contributing to brands that are making a positive impact.
At Scooter’s Coffee, we pride ourselves on only using properly sourced coffee beans. We have great relationships with our coffee farmers and only roasts the top 10% of specialty coffee beans in the world. As a vertically integrated system, we own Harvest Roasting, a company with a remarkable reputation for top coffee bean quality and roasting methods.
As one of the leading drive-thru coffee franchises in the country, Scooter’s Coffee is taking the coffee industry by storm. Having opened our 300th store location at the end of 2020, the brand opened 400 stores by the end of 2021. Well on our way to having 600 locations open by the end of this year, now is an opportune time to join our award-winning brand.
If you’re unsure of how to open a coffee shop, a franchise could be a great option for you. As an established brand, when you join Scooter’s Coffee, you’ll have a menu already laid out with proper training, so you and your team know how to make everything to company standards. Always researching the latest trends, Scooter’s Coffee brings in new limited time offers and permanent items to our menu regularly.
If you’re ready to get started with Scooter’s Coffee, fill out this form, and one of our representatives will be in touch.
