One of the hot trends in restaurant coffee is a special house blend coffee selected to reflect the concept and complement the cuisine. That is a great way for operators to appeal to coffee lovers and stand out from competitors. A case in point is the house coffee blend of 24 Diner, a chef-inspired, comfort-food eatery in Austin, Texas, one of the four Elm Restaurant Group concepts there.

24 Diner’s house brew, prepared by a local roaster, is based on Ethiopia Sidamo beans rounded out with Brazilian and Latin-American coffees. “It is calculated to be light and fruity and beautiful,” says Joshua Graves, 24 Diner general manager.

The blend is also sold by the bag at the restaurant. “It’s a great way for guests to take a piece of Austin back home,” Graves says.

That house brew, together with espresso-based drinks, iced coffee, French-press coffee and chai tea latte, boosts the appeal of 24 Diner as a destination for breakfast service any time of day or night — one of the hottest overall trends in the industry today.

“We have an amazing a.m. crowd as well as people who are having a beautiful night and want some caffeine to keep going,” says Graves. “It really is a cornerstone of what we do.”

Indeed, some operators point to pour-over brewing methods as a way to offer a more relaxed and personalized coffee experience than what guests typically get from drip coffee and espresso-based beverages.

For instance, a cup of fine coffee hand brewed to order in a manual brewing vessel at Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee extracts what one coffee pro calls a true representation of the flavor of the bean. “You don’t have to add milk or anything to it and it tastes amazing,” says Wahid Osman, regional manager of Dolcezza, an eight-unit chain based in Washington, D.C. 

“You want to be able to show off your coffee,” adds Osman. “You want to be able to tell people, ‘Look, this is a crazy thing, this is an awesome bean.’”

At Publico, a cantina focusing on the cuisines of Mexico and South America, coffees from those growing regions are brewed by methodically hand-pouring hot water over the grinds in a manual coffee dripper. The java action at the Italian-inspired Randolfi’s is centered on an Italian-made espresso machine producing espresso, cappuccino, macchiato and affogato, a scoop of housemade chocolate-hazelnut gelato anointed with a shot of espresso.

“We wanted to do really good coffee with a tie-in that means something to the guest,” Randolph says. “So we love to serve them arepas from South America and coffee made from beans from that same area. And at Randolfi’s, certainly there is something really romantic about having pasta and pizza and finishing off with a shot of espresso.”

Some restaurants are turning to alternative brew methods as trendy elements. For example, 24 Diner offers top-shelf coffees brewed in the French press. “You get your people who have a French Press every time they come in,” says Graves.

In St. Louis, matching the beans and brew method to the restaurant concept is the modus operandi of Mike Randolph, a self-described “coffee fanatic” and chef-owner of Publico and Randolfi’s there.

Nor should operators overlook the potential of cold-brewed coffee. Toddy iced coffee is a “huge” thirst quencher at 24 Diner, declares Graves. “It is really to the point that I think diners are almost surprised if a restaurant doesn’t have it, because it has become so quintessential.”

Nitro coffee — cold-brew java fizzed with nitrogen gas poured on tap — has surfaced as a unique, creamy refresher in cafes and coffeehouses. Five Dolcezza locations now have it.

“The appeal of nitro is that you are able to do something else with the product, it tastes fantastic, it is a great experience, and it is really cool to look at,” Osman says.

“Most people in the coffee industry are trying to get coffee into a broader category than just a morning beverage, with a bottled or canned or soda aspect,” says Osman. “This is one small step toward extending the conversation.”