Sponsored by BUNN
No one can see into the post-pandemic restaurant future. But even as social distancing norms relax and dining rooms reopen, it is a good guess that many consumers will continue to seek the convenience and safety of takeout and delivery. That includes getting coffee, America’s most popular beverage and a must-have for millions, to go.
The health crisis has certainly forced many operators to ramp up off-premise service and pivot to expanded options to keep their businesses afloat. They are offering everything from family meal packages, cocktail kits, and groceries to the masses staying at home. In March 2020, digital restaurant orders increased by 63 percent and delivery by 67 percent compared to the same month a year ago, according to research by The NPD Group.
Technomic sums it up like this: “Consumers are now getting a crash course in using digital platforms for restaurant transactions and usage has proliferated.”
Coffee is already a significant part of the digital mix. In fact, 25 percent of people who ordered coffee outside the home ordered it with a digital app, according to the National Coffee Data Trends 2020 survey conducted by the National Coffee Association USA.
Off-Premise Opportunities
High demand for off-premise service is driving the need for better and faster brewing methods for hot and cold coffee. Customers who formerly chose leisurely hand-pours of single-origin coffees will probably expect a more streamlined coffee experience post-pandemic. That opens the door for advanced batch-brewing equipment with adjustable extraction settings and programmable brew recipes for specific coffee origins and blends.
“Now more than ever, a cup of coffee needs to stand on its own merits,” says Karalynn McDermott, senior vice president of market development for BUNN®. “Typically, the full coffee experience includes a barista and ambience of the café; but with in-store service suspended, the focus will pivot to dialing in specific recipes and striving for outstanding coffee. If you are serving, say, Ethiopian beans that have notes of blueberry, the brewer should be set to bring those out rather than use the same setting for all coffees.”
“The business post-COVID-19 is going to be driven by drive-thru and takeout and curbside and the need for something quick,” says Chairil McClain, senior director, beverage innovation, at BUNN.
The new BUNN Fast Cup™ is a bean-to-cup brewer that grinds and brews a cup in about 30 seconds with pushbutton convenience. “What makes this unique is that it is a truly drip-style flavor profile,” says McClain. “It nearly eliminates coffee waste because each serving is freshly ground and brewed to order by the cup.”
BUNN Nitron® Cold Draft is a tabletop dispensing system for on-trend cold brew coffee, nitro coffee and tea that does not use a time consuming or labor-intensive brewing method. Nitron dispenses coffee concentrate from bag-in-box packages or refillable containers in a refrigerated cabinet, achieving a higher level of consistency from batch to batch. Two tap heads make it possible to feature both cold brew and nitro or two different styles of either. It pours a nitro coffee with a cascading, frothy head. “That allows you to give drive-thru customers a great nitro coffee visual experience in the cup,” says McClain.
The Nitron features a universal design that works with nitrogen gas tanks or you can go tank-less with the Nitron Gas Module. The Nitron Gas Module makes life easier for operator staff by eliminating the need to order and change nitrogen tanks.
“Cold brew has great potential right now for consumers who enjoy cold coffee drinks,” says McDermott. “Melting ice may create lapses in quality for iced-coffee drinkers in this period of heavy commuting and summer temperatures.”
Time for a Tune Up
For operators who are restarting their businesses, BUNN is offering online resources for getting idled BUNN equipment back to full working capacity. Included are step-by-step procedures for flushing or replacing water filters and cleaning and sanitizing. In addition, customers may arrange a virtual service session with a technician via a web-based platform or set up an in-person tech visit to make sure the equipment is in shape.
As this challenging and uncertain period continues, it is important for businesses to comfort customers by doing everything they can to keep service clean and uninterrupted. Both Fast Cup and Nitron are easy to clean and allow for long uptimes between maintenance routines.
Even as dining room traffic inevitably comes back, restaurant operators should be prepared for lasting consumer demand for takeout and delivery. A menu of on-trend coffee offerings and the equipment to prepare and serve them with quality and speed are prerequisites for success.
