Chicago, Ill., September 13th, 2016: More consumers are visiting Bakery and Coffee Cafes at least once a month compared to two years ago, according to Technomic’s recently released 2016 Bakery and Coffee Cafe Consumer Trend Report.
For Bakery Cafes, the increase relates to rising patronage in the morning and at dinner, while Coffee Cafes are benefiting from their technology investments and menu innovation.
“To maintain their momentum and further drive sales, cafes will need to continually evolve their operations and menus to offer the convenience and value their customers demand,” explains Kelly Weikel, director of consumer insights at Technomic.
“Technology is becoming especially crucial in this space, both for improving service speed with digital ordering channels and for providing personalized value through loyalty programs.
Meanwhile, menu innovations such as adult beverage programs or indulgent dessert drinks can help cafes drive incremental sales by furthering their appeal in the evening.”
Key takeaways from the report include:
- More Bakery Cafe consumers now (43%) than in 2014 (36%) say the availability of nutritional information is very important, aligning with consumers’ growing demands for menu transparency
- Younger consumers are driving demand for more cold coffees at cafes; these refreshing beverages can be positioned as healthful and functional options, and they complement certain foods better than regular coffee
- Alcohol may help spur traffic at later dayparts by appealing to younger consumers, as roughly three-tenths of Millennials would be more likely to visit cafes in the evening if alcohol were available
Compiling findings from more than 1,500 consumers, as well as Technomic’s MenuMonitor and Digital Resource Library, the comprehensive 2016 Bakery and Coffee Cafe Consumer Trend Report serves as a guide for foodservice operators and suppliers to understand consumer usage and attitudes toward Bakery and Coffee Cafes and to identify key areas of opportunity.
