Finding the right beverages to promote your business can be tough. Choosing a new restaurant beverage can be a bit of a gamble. You have to select the products that will drive customers into your store and monitor how well-liked each one is. But how would you even know what trends to base your purchases on to improve your beverage service?
Sure, you could ask around and see what people are drinking; maybe you could pay close attention to what’s new on the shelves the next time you set foot in the grocery store. No matter what, it’s hard to realize which trends in the beverage industry are booming, which is why we’ve done all the work for you.
If you need a few ideas, you have come to the right place. Use these trends to enhance your business, promote new products, gain new clients, and get old ones to come in again and again. Here are the best categories of restaurant beverages that will keep your customers coming back for more.
Tea Time
Tea is rising globally and is expected to keep growing. This hot or cold beverage has been picked up by many consumers for its health benefits, as well as its unique taste. It's easy to make and easy to stock. Any beverage service can benefit from tea. We’ve already covered how tea can be good for your office space. It keeps employees healthier and the caffeine distribution leaves you crashing less hard than coffee.
The major pain point with tea is that you’ll need to stock multiple varieties. Some people only drink black tea and some only drink green. You might also incorporate flavors like hibiscus or chamomile for their numerous health benefits to attract health-conscious customers. Though it can be a bit of a pain to remember the difference between Oolong and Earl Gray, you can trust that restaurant visitors will be impressed by your wealth of knowledge and be happy to partake in your beverage service.
Tea is in, and it’s a worthwhile consideration for your business. The leafy mixture is all the rage, especially because it aligns with consumers’ desire for non-carbonated beverages. Tea is quickly taking over the market, and given a few years’ time, might even grow to rival coffee. Tea has always been around, but now it's starting to catch on in the American market. And as the population of our towns get more diverse, people are going to be looking for those cultural tastes that they've grown accustomed to. Chances are that your hometown has opened a tea shop in recent history, and with the way tea has been performing, it doesn't surprise us in the slightest. Look at your shelves and make sure you have a couple of naturally brewed teas with a few options for flavor.
Kombucha
Maintaining a diverse range of products is extremely important for a business with intent to grow. Kombucha and other fermented products are steadily gaining traction. In 2018 the Kombucha market sat at $1.24 billion. By 2025, the market is expected to grow to $3.5 billion. Fermented restaurant beverages are becoming increasingly popular, and you can often find a few local Kombucha makers for your restaurant beverage service.
Kombucha offers a very distinct and unique experience. It has that carbonated taste and fermented funk. It's fruity and vinegary. People love it, and for good reason. It's long history is one of the things that people love about it. We're partial to our local partners for the best quality on the market, but large bottlers make good products too. This fizzy concoction has grown in popularity mostly because of its benefits for digestion and gut health.
Be aware that Kombucha isn't the only fermented drink on the market, and others are also steadily rising in popularity for the same reasons. Some of these drinks include kefir, tepache, and even whey sodas. Kombucha is definitely leading the pack and is in high demand; however, keeping an eye on these other beverages and maybe even offering them at your business could be something unique to use promotionally.
Sparkling Water
Whoever decided water would be better by adding carbonation is going down in our personal history book as one of the most influential people to have ever lived. It was actually invented as far back as the 1700s but it's just starting to take over in American markets. Last year, the industry saw $1.7 billion in sales. Though it pales in comparison to the soda market, people are loving the market for carbonated water and giving it a little love. Who would have thought? You take a bit of water, add that crisp bite from the carbonation, and maybe even spruce it up with natural lemon or lime flavor and you have an instant classic. It's perfect for a dinner party when you need to convince your friends that you're cooler than them or for when you want to lay on the couch for an entire weekend and binge watch Netflix while covered in pizza grease.
We're not judging. We love sparkling water too and we're pretty sure it's here to stay. You've probably started to notice the trend as well. Restaurants and even vending machines are starting to carry the more popular brands. Big soda brands are exploring their own avenues and we're even seeing sparkling beverages enter the alcohol market. In time, this trend may die down a little but for now it's not going anywhere soon. If you haven't given this seltzer a try, we can assure you that you're missing out.
Bottoms Up
We hope this helped. These trends are some of the largest in the beverage industry and will continue to grow throughout the next couple of years. Getting on the ground floor and offering these products early can be a good incentive for new customers to try your business. It can also be a good incentive for customers who are growing tired of your business, and need a reason to come back. Bars and restaurants always need to be innovating and changing to accommodate customer trends, and these are some of the biggest on the market.
Selecting your next restaurant beverage can be difficult without the proper knowledge. Use these trends to your advantage when making decisions about your beverage service supply. If you’d like to speak with an expert on deciding which beverages you should implement at your business, feel free to request a meeting with a Bernick’s product expert.
