• Plant milks and cold coffee are more popular than ever, as customers increasingly value a higher level of variety and customisation.
• The freedom to change flavour, mouthfeel, and appearance with different non-dairy options quenches customers’ thirst for unique beverage experiences.
• More menu items inevitably reshape barista workflow, potentially impeding the speed and quality of service. Starbucks cut 30% of its US menu in early 2025 to reduce confusion and long wait times.
• Coffee shops will keep adding plant milks to their menus – and will also need to find new ways to adapt as workflow changes.

Plant milks have cemented their place in café culture, with oat milk now the default option in some specialty coffee shops. Many more have accepted that dairy alternatives will be in permanent, high demand, especially as cold coffee proliferates, and have scrapped their upcharges in response.

But more expansive menus inevitably reshape barista workflow and increase operational complexity. Furthermore, customisation can cause overwhelm and confusion during ordering, prolonging wait times. 

Switching between different types of milk requires baristas to refine steaming temperature, texture, and timing. This not only slows service and complicates workflow, but also requires significantly more training for new staff.

Optimising workflow is therefore essential for coffee shops to cope with these demands. I spoke to Dhan Tamang, six-time UK Latte Art Champion and a brand ambassador for Latte Art Factory, to learn more.

You may also like our article on whether customised drinks push us away from specialty coffee.

Plant milks & cold drinks are reshaping the coffee industry

Plant milks and iced drinks have long been on coffee shop menus. But they were often an afterthought in specialty coffee shops – rarely ordered, and thereby largely ignored – as baristas focused on pour overs and traditional milk-based beverages.

However, as consumers increasingly value variety and personalisation, there has been something of a “cold coffee revolution”. Iced drinks are leading orders at major coffee chains across the world; in its 2023 third-quarter financial report, Starbucks stated that they represented an impressive 75% of sales in the US.

Cold coffee particularly resonates with Gen Z, who order these drinks all year-round at any time of day. Matcha has also become a go-to base for customisation and a global viral trend, with its vivid green hue capturing the attention of social media users. Black Sheep Coffee, meanwhile, reported a 227% year-on-year surge in iced beverage sales in May 2025 following the launch of its Peaches & Cream Matcha and Matcha Lemonade lines.

A contributing factor to this shift is, ironically, the rising costs of living; more consumers are less willing to spend money on “simply coffee” or other straightforward drinks. The freedom to customise drink flavour, mouthfeel, and appearance meets the demand for value and a unique experience in ways that black coffee often can’t. In turn, customisation has catapulted coffee and matcha beyond just beverages into cultural symbols of self-expression and identity.

Coinciding with the explosive growth of cold coffee is the rise of plant milks. The two often go hand-in-hand, allowing consumers to expand their customisation options. 

In the mid-2010s, oat milk emerged as the undisputed champion of plant-based beverages in specialty coffee. According to data from World Coffee Portal, over 28% of customers at UK-branded coffee shops have ordered oat milk, which makes it the most popular plant milk in the country.

Oat milk continues to outperform other plant milks – and dairy in some cases. The news that some well-known roasters and coffee chains in the US and UK defaulted to oat – and even upcharged for cow’s milk – was a clear sign of its mainstream popularity.

However, after reports that oat milk may spike blood glucose levels, the historically “healthy” drink came under fire. This has opened up more market opportunities for other plant-based milks, as consumers continue to show interest in dairy alternatives.

“Many customers are reducing their dairy consumption for health, dietary, or ethical reasons,” says Dhan, a World Latte Art Championship finalist, the founder of Kavi Coffee, and a brand ambassador for Latte Art Factory. “Plant milks like oat, almond, soy, and coconut are considered healthier or easier to digest than dairy.”

Why coffee shops are turning to automation for support

Allowing customers free rein in building their perfect beverage has been a successful strategy for coffee shops. However, as new ingredients and milk alternatives pop up on café menus, the practice becomes more demanding on staff.

More expansive menus inevitably reshape barista workflow and increase operational complexity. This can impede the speed and quality of service to such an extent that, in the case of Starbucks, it cut 30% of its US menu in January 2025 to reclaim its traditional coffeehouse culture.

Switching between different types of milk requires baristas to re-optimise steaming temperature, texture, and timing. This can not only slow down service and complicate workflow, but also requires significantly more training for new baristas.

“Many cold beverages are usually easier to prepare than hot beverages because cold drinks can be pre-made,” Dhan says. 

But in the limelight of cold coffee and plant milks is cold foam – an airy yet dense and stable layer of milk that is appearing atop a broadening array of cold drinks. Cold foam has gained traction since its debut in several chains over a decade ago. 

According to Google Trends, search interest in the term “Einspänner” – a hot coffee topped with sweetened whipped cream – has climbed to new heights worldwide in the past three years. In turn, the number of cafés offering Einspänner-inspired hot and cold drinks has skyrocketed, as coffee shops have found new ways to create visually stunning drinks with cold foam that attract Gen Z consumers who value aesthetics and quality equally.

Cold foam’s “Instagrammable” visual appeal and creamy texture – which can be achieved with dairy and any type of plant milk – create a drink experience that feels premium.

However, making cold foam by hand is arduous and time-consuming – a task that many baristas no longer have the capacity for. Additionally, because milk’s foam structure is influenced by its protein-to-fat ratio, plant milks are generally trickier to master with this method.

This has opened up new opportunities for café operators to leverage automation, including systems like the award-winning Latte Art Factory. The compact, automated milk foaming machine uses patented no-steam technology, precise temperature control, and fully customisable settings to optimise milk texture for both hot and cold drinks. 

“The Latte Art Factory reduces cognitive load, ensures quality consistency, and allows baristas to focus on hospitality instead of operational complexity,” Dhan says.

He explains that the system can dispense up to 1.6 litres of hot or cold milk foam per minute in up to three predefined foam textures, assisting baristas with workflow. It can also customise textures for up to two different liquids in the same recipe – including plant milks and cold brew – allowing for easy transitions between drink types, so that cafés can serve oat milk cappuccinos, nitro lattes, and more without losing pace or quality.

How coffee shops can increase capacity for new cold drinks and plant milks

Coffee shops will need to keep adding new cold drinks, plant milks, and customisation options if they want to thrive in an ever-increasingly competitive market. 

But this means cafés need to find new ways to adapt. More plant milks, cold drinks, and beverage personalisation inevitably mean more operational complexity – all of which creates the potential for disjointed service.

On top of effective barista training – helping reassess workflow to incorporate more ingredients and even different movements – automation can provide support by handling repetitive tasks, enabling staff to focus more on customer service. 

“Baristas use the Latte Art Factory as a precision tool to apply their expertise, ensuring every drink has the right temperature, volume, and texture tailored to both the milk type and customer preference,” Dhan says.  

The system offers precise, stable, and customisable temperature control, ranging from 4°C to 75°C (40°F to 167°F), to serve a wide variety of different milks and beverages consistently. 

“It gives baristas the precision and flexibility to experiment, innovate, and deliver consistent quality while staying ahead of cold coffee and plant milk trends,” Dhan says. “Café staff can have the confidence to deliver consistency today while unlocking creativity for the coffee trends of tomorrow.”

Automation is also providing support to baristas in new ways, allowing them to utilise and improve their skills and knowledge to customise temperature, volume, and texture for different milks and drinks.

Solutions like the Latte Art Factory can also reduce waste, potentially increasing revenue by up to 30% and saving more than 10 litres of milk per day, and cut wait times by half.

The system’s automatic cleaning cycle – an important consideration when using automated beverage dispensing equipment – also frees up baristas’ time to focus on other tasks.

The future of coffee is seemingly cold and versatile, with consumers continuing to demand more options than ever before. As plant milks and iced drinks proliferate on menus, cafés will need to tap into the emerging trends.

But simultaneously, quality and consistency are paramount, and coffee shops can’t afford to compromise on either. To find success, operators will have to adapt their service routines, invest in supportive equipment, and empower baristas to perform at their best.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on innovation in cold milk foam for coffee.

Photo credits: Latte Art Factory

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