What is brewing in the current US Coffee Industry?

According to what I saw in a tour through the West Coast some weeks ago, the coffee market continues to re-invent itself into a better and more sophisticated business model.

Although this summer showed a noticeable decline in orders and out of home consumption, inventories have started to move again and the orders for Fall and Christmas are back into the books, volume-wise, they seem to indicate a return to better levels again.

If the North West coffee culture was responsible for the greatest change and improvement in coffee quality and consumption habits during the last 35 years, the region is still promoting fundamental changes towards an even better experience with coffee and now, also a higher sales ticket value per consumer.

This evolution is a very purist and sophisticated approach. It takes into consideration, the quality of the coffee beans, it’s sustainability credentials, quite expensive equipment and the expert hands and creativity of the “New Age Barista” operating and preparing your next espresso based coffee cup. The quality of the Menu and the variety of other beverages on offer has expanded and sophisticated dramatically in the successful cafes and also restaurants.

Alcoholic beverages such as select wines and special beers are also part of today’s progressive and purist coffee shop experience. Great music and an elaborate warm 7 cold food light menu, with the Chef’s signature, attract and retain consumers to maintain at least one out of home, gastronomic expense per day. Ah…certainly including an outstandingly well prepared espresso based coffee as the grand finalli!

The concept seems to be the following: exercise a purist approach to the quality of the coffee, the equipment and professionals preparing and serving it, why not add a fine but practical gastronomic experience to the ticket value, the coffee will sell anyway.

Another strong tendency using the same strategy of an enriched option of beverages and food preparations, is the ” Organic only ” coffees, here I found dramatic variations regarding the quality of the coffee beans, many have done their homework regarding quality assurance , still many others are serving a poor coffee cup, all in defense of a ” Organic only ” sophisticated life style.

These changes have a lot to do with the influence of some European brands acting in America but also, of US specialty coffee retail chains that are killing the full automatic machines and introducing or re-introducing the barista driven coffee experience.
Let’s not forget the American Barista movement, is growing at a multiplying pace and also creating a real positive result for the industry, consumers and sales ticket value.

On the other hand, if we look at what is also happening with the “fast food” coffee programs, it like a war about who has the best coffee preparations, add this change to the sophistication of the coffee shops, consumers are the big winners.

All social and cultural layers of the American population are being exposed to better quality in coffee, more information and sustainability potential and diverse options of preparations on a massive way.

While so many of us might just be focused or worried about the recession effects, what the Specialty coffee forefathers and foremothers ignited some 35 years ago, continues to thrive in the hands of the new age passionate coffee professionals.

They are filling our harts with hope and our taste buds with outstanding taste experiences!

Best Regards,

Christian Wolthers

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