In specialty coffee, packaging has transcended its fundamental role of preserving freshness and quality. It is now one of the most effective tools roasters have for communicating value, establishing brand identity, and justifying premium pricing.

Merchandise offers another viable branding opportunity. More and more roasters are designing unique clothing, caps, tumblers, prints, and other items to express their creative flair and reach new audiences.

But with up to 70% of customers reportedly spending more with brands they consider authentic, packaging and merchandise must align with a roaster’s values and personality.

Viktor Štefančík, the founder, head roaster, and creative director at Spojka Roastery Co. in Slovakia, explains more.

You may also like our article on how roasters can use packaging to sell their coffee for more.

Coffee quality alone is no longer enough to stand out

Quality has always been a unique selling point of specialty coffee. 

Through grading systems, cupping protocols, best practices in farming and roasting, and marketing strategies, the industry emphasises quality as its differentiating factor.

Even within the specialty coffee niche, roasters compete to source auction lots, high-scoring varieties, or the latest experimental processing trend – all marketed with the promise of exceptional quality and unique flavours.

As more consumers seek premium options, the push for extraordinary coffees intensifies. This, however, creates a double-edged sword; offering these coffees helps raise standards and expectations in the industry, but it means quality alone is no longer enough.

“Coffee quality has become a given, not a differentiator. Years ago, truly great specialty coffee was rare; today, many roasters have access to excellent beans, technology, and knowledge,” says Viktor at Spojka Roastery Co., a specialty coffee roaster in Prešov, Slovakia. 

Founded in 2022, Spojka recently won Gold and Bronze awards at the Global Coffee Awards European edition, which recognised roasting excellence across the continent. The roaster received Gold in the Filter Washed category for its Humming Bird Costa Rican coffee, and Bronze in the Filter Single Origin Experimental category for its Juicy Strawberry Colombian beans.

Additionally, Spojka was awarded Overall National Winner Slovakia in recognition of the outstanding quality of its coffees. As the Eastern European specialty coffee market grows, with green coffee imports increasing at an average annual rate of 3.3% between 2016 and 2020, brands like Spojka are emerging as market leaders, driving not only coffee quality but also innovation.

“What now makes a roaster stand out is their story, mindset, and the energy they create around their coffee,” Viktor says. 

As more roasters offer similarly inspiring origin stories and groundbreaking processing methods, consumers will tune out the noise unless the product presentation is exceptional and emotionally resonant. 

In the same way that specialty coffee is constantly redefining what is possible in coffee quality and flavour innovation, coffee packaging design is evolving to reflect this shift. Roasters are increasingly focusing on packaging and merchandise to creatively capture consumers’ attention.

Brands are utilising packaging to enhance the perceived value of their coffee and are shifting their focus from the product to curating a visual brand identity and experience that customers want to be part of.

“Quality is our foundation, but what makes our coffees special are the emotions and the community behind them,” Viktor says. 

How roasters can use packaging and merchandise to differentiate

Years of rising coffee prices have stretched out the pandemic-driven trend of more people drinking coffee at home. Roasters are adapting to this new norm by expanding their product lines and merchandise – and packaging them in unique ways that customers want to display in their kitchens. 

Utilising this strategy for diversification and focusing on standing out on retail shelves and webpages is increasingly crucial for roasters who have dealt with a difficult past few years of rising operational costs.

The push for innovation in coffee farming, processing, roasting, and brewing has also led roasters to become more creative with brand design. Coffee packaging and merchandise allow roasters to showcase their brand identity and values in seconds, an extremely important first step in growing a customer base.

Colour plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behaviour, perceived coffee value, and willingness to pay higher prices. 

A 2023 Coffee Science Foundation study found that both packaging colour hue and saturation affect consumers’ expectations of a coffee’s sensory attributes and, therefore, its value. 

Coffee from a yellow bag was expected to be the most acidic, while coffee from a pink bag was anticipated to be the sweetest and have more fruit-forward flavour notes, for example. Both colours were also associated with being “modern”, potentially boosting consumer interest compared to colours like brown and black.

The silent salesman

Packaging has long served as the “silent salesman”, communicating brand values and persuading customers to purchase products without any human interaction. 

“Packaging and merchandise are ways to tell your story without words. For many people, it’s their first contact with the brand, even before they taste the coffee,” Viktor says. “A bag can show who you are, what energy you bring, and what values you stand for.”

To leverage the influence of packaging, roasters are looking to the most innovative and effective materials and printing methods. In recent years, advancements in digital printing technology have allowed roasters to bring their creative ideas to life with bold, crisp colours and different textures. 

Spojka, for example, utilises bright colours in unique applications to make its packaging unmistakably identifiable; Viktor and Spojka’s sales & marketing manager Eva Srvátková personally spray-paint each bag with streaks of colour that allude to graffiti art – a nod to Viktor’s interests and hobbies.

“I still skateboard, and I grew up surrounded by street culture, music, skateboarding, graffiti, and community. It all shaped me,” he explains. “The energy connects people from entirely different worlds. Street art and skateboarding are universal languages everyone can understand, even if we speak different ones.

 “Through design, we express Spojka’s DNA: a mix of street culture, art, and specialty coffee. That’s what makes people recognise us instantly,” he adds. 

Spojka’s emphasis on bold, bright colours earned it the MTPak Packaging Award at the European Global Coffee Awards, recognising exceptional design and innovation.

“‘Brewtiful People’ isn’t just a slogan; it’s our identity,” Viktor says. “We collaborate with local designers and keep things raw, honest, and full of character.”

Through Spojka’s packaging and merch, Viktor relays the buzzing energy of skateboarding community spots he grew up in. The roaster’s merch is designed to both celebrate and be worn by the skateboarding community; its caps and beanies are styled for the skatepark, and Spojka collaborated with local brand Tlakers to create a custom deck. 

“Inspiration comes from walls, stickers, and streets, not from offices or marketing agencies,” he adds.

Balancing creativity and authenticity

Innovation in coffee packaging and merchandising offers roasters the opportunity to be truly original and inventive, and to connect with their audience in new ways. 

With this in mind, roasters must balance staying relevant and true to their core audience while attracting more customers. Successful coffee packaging and merch simultaneously align with the brand’s values and personality while demonstrating that the roaster is adaptable, dynamic, and able to tap into trends in ways that serve their customers.  

Striking this balance entails careful consideration of organic, authentic designs.

“Authenticity builds trust. People can sense when something feels fake or overly polished,” Viktor says. “Our packaging and merch have to feel like a natural extension of who we are, not just a sales tool. 

“When someone holds a bag of Spojka, I want them to feel the real passion and community behind it, not just see another product.” 

The passion behind Spojka – which means “connection” in Slovak – is its mission to bring roasters, baristas, and consumers together across Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and beyond through coffee. 

“Through pop-ups, collaborations, and festivals, we’re building a community that’s open, creative, and full of positive energy,” Viktor says. “We want to show that Eastern Europe has its own strong voice in the global coffee scene.”

Strategic packaging and merchandise design choices can significantly impact consumer behaviour and perceived brand value. However, these tactics are only effective when they authentically reflect a roaster’s identity.

In a market where differentiation is increasingly difficult and margins are constantly under pressure, investing time, effort, and creativity into packaging and merch has become an essential strategy. 

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why coffee quality alone is no longer a differentiator for roasters.

Photo credits: Spojka Roastery, Dušan Holovej, Vlastimil Slávik

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Please note: Spojka Roastery is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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Although ube has been a staple ingredient in Filipino cuisine for generations, the purple root vegetable has recently proliferated across social media and café menus worldwide. 

Ube was named the 2024 Flavour of the Year by major flavour and fragrance producer, T.Hasegawa, and bright purple drinks are now making even a bigger splash. 

Datassential predicted that ube would outperform 88% of all other foods, beverages, and ingredients from 2024 through 2027, and that its presence would grow 48% on US menus alone. 

As expected, ube has established itself as a customer favourite. According to Monin’s 2024 research, 67% of consumers said they were likely to purchase an ube-flavoured beverage or dessert. 

To learn why ube is trending, and whether it will become a coffee shop menu staple, I spoke with Andre Chanco of Yardstick Coffee and Britt Berg at BIGFACE BRAND.

You may also like our article on whether matcha is losing its cultural identity.

First matcha – is ube next?

In the specialty coffee industry, beverage customisation has never been so popular. Predominantly, Gen Z is driving the trend. They want more than “just a drink”; they are looking for a full sensory experience of indulgent, inspired textures, flavours, and visuals. Plus, they want to steer the ship with their own creative expression. 

This trend has given rise to colourful, sweet drinks that feature playful designs and ingredients such as cold foam, matcha, and drinking chocolate.

Matcha’s ubiquity across menus, even beyond coffee shops, was primarily driven by its visual appeal; its bright green colour is associated with wellness, sustainability, and luxury, making for eye-catching social media posts.  

This has positioned aesthetics, viral trends, and algorithms as the main drivers of consumer purchasing decisions. Bringing the world to our fingertips, social media quickly built demand for unique global ingredients. 

At the same time, young consumers are seeking “flavour escapism” with whimsical tastes and branding. Altogether, demand has soared for bold fusions of newfangled, authentic global flavours. Matcha emerged as the perfect vessel for this experimentation, and ube is following suit. 

The matcha boom is driving interest in other non-coffee drinks with similar aesthetic appeal. The bright purple ube latte might be on track to dethrone matcha. 

Why ube has become so popular

Ube is a purple yam – a starchy root vegetable native to the Philippines (not to be confused with purple sweet potato or taro) – whose name means “tuber” in Tagalog. It’s a staple ingredient in Filipino cooking because of its naturally sweet, slightly earthy, nutty, and vanilla-like flavour, making it well-suited to crowd-pleasing coffee shop beverages.  

Without any added colours or flavours, ube looks and tastes great in iced and hot drinks. It’s arguably palatable to more customers than matcha and pairs well with a variety of add-ons, such as syrups and cold foam. 

“When you put ube into drinks, it makes this really beautiful hue that people obviously love to share and take photos of, so it’s a mix of both utility and aesthetic,” says Britt, the COO of BIGFACE BRAND, a specialty coffee company founded by NBA star Jimmy Butler.

“People are also looking for coffee alternatives that are both nutritious and rich in flavour,” Britt says. 

Ube checks both boxes: it’s a natural source of potassium, vitamin C, antioxidants including anthocyanins (which not only give ube its vibrant hue, but may help reduce blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation), and prebiotic fibre. Ingredients that promote gut and skin health are especially popular among younger generations seeking beauty-enhancing foods.

Southeast Asian foods and beverages are also trending in global café culture. One factor is that younger consumers in traditionally tea-drinking cultures across Asia are drinking more coffee. 

“Ube’s popularity signals that consumers are ready for more Southeast Asian flavours. This creates room for cafés to innovate while differentiating their menu,” says Andre, the co-founder of Filipino specialty coffee roaster Yardstick Coffee. “If you look at places like Bangkok or Shanghai, we are also seeing a lot of localisation of flavours being incorporated in their coffee menus.”  

Western coffee culture is taking inspiration from popular ingredients in Asian countries. From black sesame to miso to persimmon, North American and European coffee shops have embraced these foods and flavours as staples rather than niche diets or trends. 

“Ube stands out visually and feels fresh to those markets,” Andre says. “For café operators, it’s also a smart way to add variety without straying too far from familiar flavour profiles. Its earthy notes match with some coffee origins.” 

Coffee shops are embracing ube, but will it last?

Ube’s long track record in Asian food and beverage cultures shows that it’s a worthwhile investment for coffee shops. Needless to say, many specialty coffee shops are making ube a more permanent fixture on their menus. 

“It has become a reliable seasonal or limited-time item that drives traffic, an increase in average checks, and social engagement,” Andre says. 

Ube first became Instagram-famous around 2016; one of the first viral trends was Manila Social Club’s ube doughnuts in New York City. Ube then made its way to cafés in the US by 2020, and in Australia and Europe more recently. Coffee chain Pret A Manger also launched an Ube Brûlée iced latte in the US and Europe in May 2025.

In summer 2024, BIGFACE BRAND moved to stand out in the saturated ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market and launched a canned ube vanilla latte. Compared to the brand’s other original oat and coconut cinnamon RTD lattes, Britt says the ube vanilla is the most popular flavour.

Ube’s great marketing power heeds respect to its roots. Café operators need to be mindful about using authentic ingredients and respecting Filipino culture, rather than reducing ube to a sales gimmick. 

“It’s not just a colour or trend; it’s an ingredient with heritage that supports Filipino farmers,” Andre explains. “That story is part of its value proposition. Personally, for me, it’s a snack I grew up enjoying when I was a kid.”

Ube is a heritage that has persisted in the Philippines through generations, with a sustainable flow of demand and production. 

“The challenge is sourcing consistency and avoiding product fatigue if everyone jumps on it. Similar to what’s happening to matcha at the moment,” Andre says, referring to the matcha shortage caused by unsustainable demand pressure on Japanese producers. 

In fact, high demand contributed to ube shortages for some suppliers back in 2020. 

The specialty coffee industry – which prides itself on responsible supply chains – can uphold its values while sourcing and serving ube. As it becomes cemented on coffee shop menus, ube creates endless opportunities to celebrate Filipino culture. 

“There’s still opportunity within the market for people to learn about ube,” Britt concludes. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon – just like matcha or turmeric or any of those have become staples on menus.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether matcha has become the new espresso.

Photo credits: Yardstick Coffee, BIGFACE BRAND

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Straying from previous generations of specialty coffee purists, Gen Z is willing to spend their money on maximalist, fun coffee experiences. In particular, sober-curious Gen Z are buying tickets to “coffee raves” that align with their ethos of holistic wellness. 

From underground pop-ups to high-profile weekly events, a variety of venues host raves that centre on coffee. Most commonly, coffee shops are the destination, as they can keep their espresso machine dialled in, their regular menu available, and clear room for partygoers.

With no drinking age restrictions and more sociable set times, coffee raves are fostering a deeper connection between younger specialty coffee drinkers and cafés.

But are they just a flash in the pan, or have they sparked a more profound movement? Radha Agrawal of Daybreaker, Mithilesh Vazalwar of Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters, and Gefen Skolnick of Couplet Coffee share their insight.

You may also like our article on why black coffee should be Gen Z’s favourite drink.

Club culture meets coffee: What are coffee raves?

Nightclubs have lost their monopoly as venues for raves. Daytime music sets have become popular in coffee shops as well as restaurants, museums, and even ice cream parlours.

During the pandemic, young people were unable to experience club culture in the same way previous generations had, reshaping their social experiences.

A 2025 Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) study found that 61% of respondents aged between 18 and 30 years old reported going out less frequently in the past year, with only 16% stating they go out more after 10pm. Safety concerns (especially for women), inadequate access to transportation, and rising costs are among the reasons cited.

Simultaneously, younger generations are drinking less alcohol. A recent YouGov survey of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK shows Gen Z continue to be the most sober generation overall, with 39% of them not drinking alcohol at all.

These shifting behaviours have given way to coffee raves: sober dance parties held in cafés that mix music, coffee drinks, and socialising. They’re a global phenomenon, popping up in Africa, Australia, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Russia. 

According to Eventbrite, the number of coffee clubbing events has increased by 478% compared to last year, signalling widespread interest.

The morning rave concept, however, isn’t new. Thirteen years ago, Radha, the co-founder and CEO of the global morning dance, music, and wellness movement Daybreaker, conceived a social experiment with her soon-to-be co-founders: would anyone be willing to wake up at 6:00am for a sober rave before work? 

In 2013, the Daybreaker founders sold out their first coffee rave with 200 people packed in the basement of The Coffee Shop in New York City. Daybreaker events are immersive performance art experiences with live horn sections, djembe drummers, break dancers, and fire spinners. Its Coffee Clubs events feature seasonally rotating coffee and matcha brands.

“All of this brick laying that we did over the last 13 years really supported this moment,” Radha says. “I get really excited to see all of these amazing burgeoning communities out there.”

After hosting over 1,000 parties, Daybreaker has proven that morning coffee raves are a success; the brand now boasts one million members across 33 cities worldwide.

Coffee raves are reinventing the café experience

The coffee rave movement has steadily expanded to cafés worldwide.

Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters in Nagpur, India, hosted its first coffee rave in 2018.

“It was just a jamming session and we didn’t even know it was called a rave back then,” says Mithilesh, the founder and CEO. 

The roaster’s music sets evolved into what Mithilesh describes as “magical” coffee raves with hundreds of attendees. Viral videos of Corridor Seven’s coffee rave with the famous Indian DJ Nikhil Chinapa “broke the internet”. Thereafter, Mithilesh says coffee raves exploded beyond India. 

Couplet Coffee in Los Angeles, California, has been hosting pop-up coffee parties and music sets at various venues since 2021. It now hosts coffee parties at two new brick-and-mortar locations.

“We hosted a queer Latinx-focused party, as well as acoustic and singing events for the general public,” says Gefen, the founder and CEO. “People are raving about our raves, and we want to host many more.”

Coffee raves cater to youth pop culture as a type of “soft clubbing” that merges Brat party culture with “clean girl” aesthetics. Additionally, splurging on coffee can be a healthy outlet for Gen Z – often deemed the most anxious and overwhelmed generation – to cope with global economic and socio-political stressors.

They also foster a sense of belonging and joy, which is Daybreaker’s raison d’être, Radha says. In fact, research shows that socialising, dancing, and music neurochemically increase feelings of happiness. 

“After hours of partying, ravers can go to work clear-headed, with glitter on their face, and a little dewiness from the dance floor,” Radha says.  

But the reasons for the explosive popularity of coffee raves are also pragmatic. Rising costs of living for consumers mean coffee raves offer a compelling alternative to traditional nightclubs. For coffee shop owners, it’s an opportunity to stray from business as usual.

“We want people to consume coffee, not just in a sit-down setting,” Mithilesh explains. “This means in whatever form, manner, time, day, situation – anytime.” 

Even with soaring C-market prices, coffee shops still offer cheaper drinks than nightclubs. Coffee shop owners have found that fusing the two third spaces is a smart business decision, reshaping the café experience in exciting new ways.

A lasting movement, or a passing trend?

Inevitably, any trend’s proliferation means that some lack substance. While some coffee raves may feel like weak, Instagrammable moments or money-grabs, others are authentic, burgeoning communities.

“If there is a continuing massive boom for the next 12 to 18 months, then you’ll see a massive drop off,” Radha says. Because producing community events requires vastly different skill sets and resources than running a café, she adds that the lasting coffee raves will be run by seasoned production companies who are able to invest the required amount of energy, time, and money. 

A significant hurdle for coffee shops is managing daily customer flow while simultaneously hosting a rave. The right timing is all about balancing the needs of regulars with those of party-goers. 

Corridor Seven, for example, avoids hosting raves during peak weekend hours, but ultimately will do what best caters to its community. 

“You will upset a few people, but you will also make a few people happy,” he adds. “You host coffee raves for your own reasons rather than just for the fad of it.”

Ultimately, the general consensus is that coffee raves have a much deeper cultural impact than a passing fad. Their success demonstrates that people seek experiences that encompass, but also extend beyond, coffee itself. They offer Gen Z a hybrid of third spaces and an opportunity for specialty coffee shops to diversify their spaces.

“I think of coffee rave as an easy plugin into the entire ecosystem of your café, where at the end of the corner table, people can still talk to each other,” Mithilesh says. “It’s not that deafening kind of a sound where people aren’t able to enjoy coffee.”

Radha thinks we might see the emergence of a new kind of third space: coffee shops with a dance club component permanently integrated. Indeed, this trend opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for specialty coffee. 

“I hope to see music events and coffee shops continue to expand outside of only raving!” Gefen says. 

Already, coffee raves have grown communities beyond the dance floor. 

This summer, Corridor Seven collaborated with a local run club for the first run rave in India. The team set up a DJ deck atop a truck that drove in front of over 75 runners as they ran a 5K at 6:00am. 

For Mithilesh, the beauty of coffee raves is that they don’t have to be hundreds of ravers bouncing to a renowned DJ to be successful; any number of people coming together to enjoy music together can build a meaningful community. 

Coffee raves are revitalising the routines of rushed mornings, merging them with nightlife culture in a way that fosters connection and community.

While they won’t reshape fundamental coffee shop culture, coffee raves are having an impact – and they’re not disappearing anytime soon.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why specialty coffee needs to be exciting for younger generations.

Photo credits: Daybreaker, Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters

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When the US Food and Drug Administration approved coffee as a “healthy” beverage (fewer than five calories per 12oz serving) in December 2024, the debate was settled once and for all. The coffee industry then embarked on a full-blown wellness rebrand.

Coffee is now a key segment in the US$4.5 trillion global wellness economy, which is growing twice as fast as the global economy. According to Ogilvy, 73% of global consumers considered wellness an essential element of a brand’s strategy in 2020. 

Since then, sales of products with “clean” labels have outperformed other products by 8% in the last year, and coffee is no exception. 

According to Euromonitor, the global health and wellness coffee market is expected to grow by 6.8% annually over the next five years, driven by rising demand for organic and functional products. 

Functional coffee is dominant among Gen Z consumers, who demand coffee that serves a dual purpose with added health benefits.

Rather than falling out of fashion, coffee is sharing the stage with functional ingredients – and there are key ones to look out for.

I spoke to Rafał Wyrzykiewicz at Hardtank, Hadrien Pluymers at Future Club Coffee, and Timur El Ait at NOOZ to find out more.

You may also like our article on why roasters need to stand out in the RTD coffee market.

Why functional coffee is so popular in 2025

The use of functional beverage ingredients is a modern resurgence of long-revered traditional medicines from cultures around the world. Some examples include Echinacea in Native American and indigenous communities, and ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine. 

So what exactly is “functional coffee”? By definition, black filter coffee is already a “functional” beverage because it provides a number of scientifically-backed health benefits. These include a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few.

But today’s modern definition is any form of coffee with added ingredients derived from plants, animals, and fungi that target specific health goals. These typically include improved digestion, energy, mental clarity, immune function, and stress adaptation.  

Adaptogens, a broad array of plants and fungi (like schisandra, ashwagandha and reishi mushrooms), have become popular for their ability to non-specifically combat the physiological effects of stress caused by fatigue and the metabolism of caffeine. 

Functional ingredients have been used for generations outside of the mainstream, but the pandemic spurred more people to take a greater interest in their health.

“Covid-19 sparked a heightened public awareness of the immune system and the importance of maintaining it through supplements and natural remedies,” says Timur, the founder and managing director of NOOZ, a functional coffee brand in the United Arab Emirates.

Essentially, functional coffee is evolving to meet the needs of more discerning consumers. 

“Today, people require significantly more mental energy than previous generations. The pace of life, constant information flow, and cognitive demands of modern work are higher than ever,” Timur adds. “This creates a growing need for clean, sustained energy. We know the problem with traditional coffee: crashes, jitters, and heart palpitations due to caffeine overload.”

Social media has created viral health and wellness trends that turned traditional coffee on its head. One of the first in Western markets was Bulletproof coffee in the late 2010s; a favourite among fitness enthusiasts and those on low-carbohydrate, high-fat and keto diets.

The expanding list of functional ingredients used in coffee has become so popular that one-third of US coffee drinkers want beverages that deliver targeted health benefits. Moreover, most consumers surveyed would swap their regular coffee for them.

“Consumers today are looking for beverages that not only give them energy but also provide added benefits like vitamins, minerals, or other functional ingredients,” says Rafał, the production manager at Hardtank, a commercial cold brew equipment manufacturer and private label RTD coffee supplier, including products with functional ingredients.

“We’ve seen how popular energy drinks and functional waters have become. Functional RTD coffee sits right in the middle – it gives you caffeine, can be low in calories, and at the same time delivers extra nutrients,” he adds.

Add-ons & supplements: The ingredients to look out for in RTD functional coffee

RTD coffee is the vessel of choice for functional ingredients because of its convenient, visually appealing, and approachable format. 

“Cold brew gained popularity not as a passing trend, but as a lasting evolution in coffee culture,” Timur says. “Its bold, rich flavour and natural benefits stand on their own.” 

Perhaps most importantly, RTD beverages meet consumers where they’re at in their busy lifestyles.

“Workloads have increased, self-care has become a priority, and people are looking for beverages that help them move forward, not slow them down,” Hadrien says, the co-founder of Future Club in Belgium.

RTD cans that act as canvases for expressive visual branding appeal to younger consumers in particular. For example, Future Club collaborates with artists and Hardtank to design their canned beverages to connect with customers. 

Consumers are looking for beverages packed with ingredients like ginseng, spirulina, maca, ashwagandha, collagen, prebiotics, probiotics, electrolytes, adaptogenic mushrooms, herbs, teas, cascara, and superfruits.

“L-theanine, MCT oil, minerals, and B vitamins are especially popular because they combine wellness with coffee and are easy for consumers to understand,” Rafał says. 

L-theanine is a natural extract derived from green tea leaves that has been used for centuries. “It helps slow the absorption of caffeine in the body, resulting in a smoother, calmer, and longer-lasting energy effect without the spike-and-crash cycle,” Timur explains.

Another popular ingredient, MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil, is a healthy coconut-derived fat that “quickly converts to ketones, fuelling the brain and body with clean energy, improving mental clarity and physical endurance,” Timur says. “This is all without the side effects of sugar or stimulants.

“You can seamlessly blend these ingredients into cold brew coffee, creating a beverage that is not only delicious and refreshing but also functional and performance-enhancing.”

Why roasters can’t ignore RTD functional coffee

Given its rapid growth and diversification, roasters who haven’t already capitalised on the thriving RTD market are ultimately missing out. 

However, the complexities of production mean working with a trusted manufacturer and supplier is essential for developing, manufacturing, and selling RTD functional beverages. 

A team behind successful launches has a finger on the pulse of what flavours and benefits consumers want – especially Gen Z, who have the highest spending power in the industry.

Roasters need to understand which functional suites consumers want in their coffee, rather than cramming in every trending ingredient. Young consumers in particular are persuaded by RTD coffee with trendy flavours and aesthetics that serve as a form of personal expression. Furthermore, functional ingredients can’t compromise taste or texture.

Brands can also stay on top of emerging ingredients not yet in the mainstream RTD market. For example, adding mushrooms to lattes and ground coffee has been popular for some years now, and experts say the next mushroom coffee iteration will be canned.

“I believe there’s growing interest in adaptogens, especially mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, and others,” Rafał explains. “They are becoming more mainstream and will likely shape the future of functional beverages.”

Private label suppliers like Hardtank provide a full service – from developing samples and recipes to final production – with a low minimum order quantity (MOQ) so that brands can test the market without large upfront risk. The company’s patented technology allows it to brew not only coffee but also tea or cascara hygienically and consistently in a BRC-certified facility.

“Shelf life, food safety, and regulatory compliance are also crucial,” Rafał says. “This is where a partner like Hardtank makes a difference; we help brands at every stage, from R&D and sensory testing to scaling up production, ensuring the final product not only meets expectations but is also compliant, safe, and ready for the market.”

Hardtank recently hosted a webinar, Matcha, Tea, Coffee, Cocktails & More – Offering Cold Brew In Your Business, which explored the latest trends in the cold beverage industry. A panel of speakers discussed a number of topics, including major recent changes in the cold beverage industry and the market’s current trajectory, as well as emerging product formats and functional ingredients.

“We want to keep things as simple and transparent as possible,” Hadrien says. “Our goal is to offer a clean, nitro cold brew experience – no additives, no noise, nothing that distorts the natural perception and flavour of coffee.

“Working with Hardtank allows us to focus on building our brand while knowing that production is in expert hands,” he adds. “It also gives us the ability to scale when the time is right, and we truly value having a team that listens and understands our vision.” 

One of the most exciting parts of the creation process is developing truly original products from the ground up. 

“We started with our proprietary formula, carefully balancing functional ingredients, which became the foundation for selecting the perfect coffee to complement it,” Timur says. “We’re an RTD coffee brand at heart, which means our manufacturing partners must be true coffee experts. 

“Producing premium cold brew coffee requires far more than industrial filling; it demands the right sourcing partners, specialty roasting expertise, and most importantly, innovation in brewing,” he adds. 

“What gives us even more confidence in our partnership with Hardtank is their patented cold brew technology, a proprietary invention that reflects a commitment to advancing the brewing process while maintaining the integrity and quality of specialty coffee.”

From adaptogenic mushrooms to L-theanine, functional ingredients are proliferating in the RTD coffee market. These ingredients will form part of coffee’s future, but not all are made equal. To find success, roasters need to choose wisely and ensure they stay on brand while meeting the ever-evolving needs of consumers.

“The key is really understanding your target audience – who they are, what benefits they’re looking for, and how they consume functional drinks,” Rafał concludes. “Once that’s clear, everything else follows: choosing the right ingredients, creating a balanced formulation, and making sure the product is both stable and tasty.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how the RTD coffee market is changing.

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Consumers are paying closer attention to the environmental and ethical footprints of their purchases, especially coffee. Many rely on certifications to help guide their decisions, seeking out more sustainable coffee options – and research shows they’re often willing to pay premium prices for them.

For producers, this means certified coffee can be a viable means of entering new markets, increasing prices, and investing in long-term growth. Moreover, they also present opportunities to market coffee more effectively, demonstrating verifiably higher social, economic, and environmental standards.

However, not all certifications are equally beneficial for coffee producers. While some can guarantee higher prices and long-term buyers, others can carry costly administrative burdens that minimise impact.

I spoke to Ítalo Henrique, Bruna Costa, and Farlla Cristina Gomes Vieira at the Brazilian cooperative Expocacer to learn how they are addressing these challenges.

You may also like our article on what regenerative agriculture actually means.

The role of certifications in coffee

Certifications have long been an effective means of establishing higher social, economic, and environmental standards in the coffee industry. These principles aim to achieve goals such as protecting biodiversity in coffee-growing regions and helping producers earn a living wage – two factors that are more important than ever as the climate crisis worsens and price volatility persists.

Some examples of prominent certifications in the coffee industry include Fairtrade, UTZ (now part of Rainforest Alliance), country-level organic certifications such as USDA Organic, 4C (the Common Code for the Coffee Community), and Regenerative Organic Certified – a new scheme that supports regenerative agricultural practices.

In an ideal scenario, certification can guarantee a price premium and a better income for producers compared to selling coffee at low commodity prices in an increasingly volatile C market.

“Certification transforms coffee from a commodity to a product with a history and a purpose, and this creates added value in the supply chain,” says Ítalo Henrique, the Commercial Director at Expocacer, the Cerrado Coffee Growers’ Cooperative.

From an ecological perspective, certifications serve as a strategy to combat climate change and address the growing list of environmental challenges in coffee-growing regions. 

“Sustainably produced coffees are the only way to keep coffee production viable in the future,” says Bruna Costa, the director of Bossa Coffee Company, which represents Expocacer’s UK logistics hub. “The implementation of sustainable techniques helps mitigate issues related to climate change, which causes severe droughts in coffee-producing regions. For the past five years, especially, these have been severely challenging for farmers.”

Certifications are also effective marketing tools, as they offer producers a universal way to communicate their ethical and sustainable practices to roasters and consumers.

In some cases, sustainability labelling increases the value of coffee products and gives them a competitive edge in meeting the demand of more eco-conscious consumers. Studies have shown that certifications have helped increase retail prices for Fairtrade coffee in Italy by 30%, in Germany by 55%, and in the US by 15% to 30%.

This offers producers and cooperatives opportunities to enter new markets, particularly in Europe – the world’s largest market for certified coffee – that help them command higher prices.

But there are challenges to address with coffee certifications

There are clear benefits to certifications in the coffee industry, but there are also hurdles to navigate.

First and foremost, adhering to certifications is often costly for producers, many of whom find it increasingly difficult to justify the investment. Some programmes pose financial barriers in many coffee-growing regions, limiting farmer participation, especially among smallholders.

Certifications can cost farmers hundreds or thousands of dollars per year, depending on farm size, coffee volume, and country-level criteria. Growing certified coffee can also be logistically challenging, as verification processes commonly require extensive documentation, regular audits, and inspection fees. 

This administrative burden can divert farmers’ attention away from caring for their crops and deplete resources from limited funds. Some cooperatives and supply chain partners will bear these administrative and financial costs, but farmers are still responsible for transitioning their farms to meet certification requirements. This can be a years-long process in which farmers may experience lower yields and higher operational costs before earning any price premiums. 

Farmers who successfully obtain certification may also face a reality in which they are not paid enough to cover the cost of the extra labour and certification fees. With a weaker negotiating position against larger green coffee buyers, some producers can struggle to sell their certified coffee and may have to settle for lower prices closer to market rates.

Contributing to this problem is that green coffee buyers can pick and choose which of the growing number of certifications they want to label their coffee with. 

An oversaturation of sustainability and ethical labels means the impact of certification programmes can quickly become diluted. Both producers and consumers struggle to keep up with what each label means and which ones hold more value. 

Potential consumer confusion around certifications can exacerbate their “label fatigue” and “decision paralysis,” and possibly disincentivise them from buying certified coffee altogether. Many studies emphasise the importance of comprehensive consumer education regarding the meaning and value behind various certifications.  

In order for certification schemes to be expanded and sustained meaningfully, they must be beneficial and financially sustainable for producers. This entails lower participation costs, providing adequate support when applying for and adhering to certification schemes, and guaranteeing that returns exceed the costs of transitioning farming practices and potential yield declines.

Supply chain actors, such as Expocacer, are working to offer these solutions. In 2023, the cooperative introduced ECO, a self-verification system that enables producers to comply with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. 

“The platform was created as an accessible certification, adding credibility supporting the continuous improvement and positioning the producers competitively in the global market,” Ítalo says. The cooperative currently works with 700 producers in Brazil, exporting to more than 30 countries across five continents. 

“ECO highlights the best practices and progress in the sustainable management of producers in the Cerrado Mineiro region through continuous improvement,” says Farlla Cristina Gomes Vieira, the Technical and Sustainability Manager at Expocacer. “This way, we reach the largest number of producers, as the protocol focuses on promoting innovative coffee production.”

How producers can use certifications to sell their coffee for more

Certifications are one of many tools producers can use to market their coffees more effectively to the growing customer base that demands traceable and verifiable sustainable coffee. 

“Consumers are more conscious of the social and environmental impact of their purchases, especially coffee,” Ítalo says. 

Multiple studies have found that increased transparency in environmentally sustainable coffee production significantly increases consumers’ likelihood of purchasing. Furthermore, consumers are willing to pay more for coffee with certifications that align with their values and provide credibility.  

“Buyers are increasingly seeking transparency and traceability in their supply chains, so certifications like ECO reassure that the coffee is produced with respect for the people and the environment,” Ítalo explains.

Bruna highlights the Brazilian farm AgroBeloni as an example of the producers that Expocacer works closely with: “Fernando and Elessandra Beloni, who pioneered regenerative agriculture, produce sustainable coffees and high-quality specialty-grade lots.”

However, no matter how skilled and successful producers are in their sustainable coffee farming, they still need more support in accessing certifications that reward their efforts.

One solution is to empower producers through self-verification systems, like ECO, which also takes into account region-specific capacity.

“By creating these local standards, we give the producers more autonomy, reduce costs, and bring them closer to global consumers who care about responsibility and traceability,” Ítalo says.

Credible coffee certifications must also undergo independent verification to confirm authenticity and ensure adherence to strict quality standards.

In addition to internal audits conducted by Expocacer, the ECO programme includes second-party audits carried out by an independent company, and the results are publicly disclosed in ESG reports. 

“The use of external auditors provided a level of independence and rigour comparable to that of a third-party audit,” Farlla says. “Our sustainability department works alongside coffee growers, offering support and training so they can adopt and demonstrate these necessary practices, strengthening our production chain.”

In 2024, the ECO protocol was validated by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), a multi-stakeholder membership association that differentiates and vets coffee verification and certification schemes. The GCP developed a Coffee Sustainability Reference Code, which outlines principles of sustainability for coffee production and primary processing, including the elimination of child and forced labour, no deforestation, and no use of prohibited pesticides.

Certifications will continue to play a key role in the marketing of coffee – especially as consumers take more interest in sustainable, ethical, and environmentally-responsible products.

The opportunities for producers to receive higher prices and enter new markets through certified programmes are growing, but offering the right kind of support is a prerequisite for their success. By lowering barriers to entry and providing assistance with the transition to growing certified coffee, the responsibility of upholding strict – but necessary – standards is shared.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why soil health and regenerative agriculture became trends in specialty coffee.

Photo credits: Expocacer

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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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Coffee shops are the “third place”: a social space that serves the community and meets their holistic needs. Yet, simultaneously, roasters and coffee shops are businesses, meaning they need to stay profitable – and striking this delicate balance has become increasingly challenging in recent years.

Record green coffee prices, rising inflation rates, stricter access to credit, and increasing operating costs are squeezing roasters’ profit margins more than ever. Operators now need to allocate more of their attention and financial resources towards areas that need them most.

In today’s tough economic landscape, this means it’s all too easy for coffee businesses to lose sight of one of their most important purposes: serving their local communities.

I spoke to Sean Ham and Chase Stafford at Iconik Coffee Roasters to find out why roasters need to prioritise profitability and community engagement.

You may also like our article on whether specialty coffee shops are overthinking the basics.

Why it’s never been harder for coffee roasters to balance their priorities

Third wave and specialty coffee culture were built on the premise of excellent coffee and hospitality. Decades ago, passionate and aspirational entrepreneurs sought to transform the coffee industry through exceptional quality beans and customer service, demonstrating that specialty coffee is more than just a commodity; it’s a premium culinary experience.

Community building was central to these efforts. Third wave cafés created spaces for customers to engage with coffee in new ways, allowing them to develop a connection with products and brands that aligned with their values and identities.

Years on, this drive to elevate coffee’s quality and artisanal excellence still prevails. But the coffee industry has since matured, and seeking out financial stability has never been so important.

The current global economy has made running any business more expensive, but coffee roasters in particular are struggling. Higher operational costs mean everything from labour to rent to packaging to energy is chipping into their margins.

Operating in today’s already saturated and hyper-competitive specialty coffee sector, roasters haven’t been able to catch a break this year from historically high green coffee prices, rising inflation rates, and unprecedented tariffs. 

Most recently, US President Trump has imposed staggering 50% levies on Brazilian imports, including coffee. This decision is likely to create even more logistical hurdles, potentially reshaping global coffee trade and driving up green coffee costs further.

Profitability is at the forefront

Rising interest rates have also made it increasingly difficult for roasters to obtain credit, commonly in the form of short-term loans to cover large green coffee purchases. 

“We’ve had to be creative in our approach to green buying and transport logistics to make the numbers work. There’s only so much you can sell a cup of coffee for, no matter how tasty it is,” says Sean Ham, the owner of Iconik Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roaster with three cafés in Santa Fe, New Mexico, US.

Inevitably, roasters are feeling the pressure to shift their priorities towards seeking alternative funding, tightening their spending, and reshaping their green coffee sourcing strategies. The reality of running a roastery in today’s economic landscape is more about survival by remaining agile and adaptable than ever before.

In reprioritising their budgets, roasters and coffee shops alike are finding themselves at a crossroads: do they absorb higher costs and erode already tight margins? Should they increase their prices to maintain quality and sustain long-term partnerships? Or shift to cost-effective coffees to keep retail prices affordable?

Although much of the immediate focus is on the financial aspects of running a roastery or café, at the same time, operators can’t lose sight of their foundations: serving the communities that helped build their businesses.

Customers must still come first

Profitability, alongside creating an engaging community experience, is essential to running a sustainable roastery or café. Now more than ever, as retail prices rise, consumers are seeking maximum value from the coffee shops they buy from.

Wanting more than simply “coffee”, consumers are increasingly demanding an experience every time they visit a café.

Coffee shop staff can make or break this. Serving as brand ambassadors of the business, baristas must elevate the café atmosphere by sharing their coffee knowledge, building connections with customers, and cultivating a positive space for both staff and the community.

Therefore, hiring and retaining exceptional staff members is essential for customer satisfaction. Coffee businesses need skilled and passionate professionals who demonstrate initiative, creativity, and forward-thinking to keep the business agile, especially when challenges arise. 

Upholding a culture of respect and trust in the workplace helps employees perform better, too, and customers will notice this.

“In our small town of Santa Fe, our baristas are recognised and celebrated,” says Chase Stafford, the director of coffee at Iconik Coffee Roasters. “The love we receive in and outside of our cafés is a sign that we are doing something right; it shows that our dedication, hard work, and efforts to cultivate an amazing experience for the community are worth it.”

Building and maintaining consumer trust is a worthwhile investment to cultivate long-term customer loyalty and an emotional connection with a brand. Key to this trust is proving to customers that a coffee business operates with their best interests in mind. Owners and operators can demonstrate this through attention to detail to both products and customer service, as well as going above and beyond to exceed expectations.

Café staff are, again, indispensable liaisons for building overall trust in a business. Baristas can communicate the realities of increased operating costs, leading to more positive perceptions of price fairness.

Meeting the needs of diverse customers

Although it may not always seem straightforward, roastery and café operators can prioritise profitability and customer satisfaction simultaneously. 

Iconik Coffee Roasters’ three café locations in Santa Fe, for example, offer a distinct hospitality experience that meets different consumer needs.

“Each café is a variation on a theme of ICONIK,” Sean explains.“Each location has a different food menu, and a separate but familiar aesthetic, giving locals an opportunity to change scenery and tourists a reason to go back.”

Prioritising the balance of profitability and customer experience can also be achieved by diversifying coffee offerings. As prices rise, a tiered approach can cater to a broader spectrum of customer preferences. 

Developing a range of more accessible coffees, without compromising the positioning of premium offerings, can introduce customers to new origins, varieties, processing methods, and blends.

“We clearly distinguish all of our coffees into quality tiers,” says Chase. “White bags are for ‘familiar’ coffees based on roast profile or ‘traditional’ flavour profiles. Red bags are the ‘gateway’ coffees: wonderful coffees that hit a lower price point for consumers, acting as a segue to our Turquoise bags: our Exceptional Series coffees – ultra-light, well-developed, clean coffees that have unique flavour profiles.”

Consistently meeting or exceeding customer expectations can encourage them to explore more of a brand’s offerings, which can lead to greater profitability in the long term. 

Community engagement through coffee shop events

To successfully navigate the upcoming years of financial uncertainty, roasters and coffee shops must nail down an effective management strategy – which is largely predictive of a business’ long-term success. 

First and foremost, building a business upon a community-focused foundation not only gives back to the local community but can organically promote a brand and grow its customer base. 

Fundamentally, cafés should focus on creating a positive impact on their community. This starts with being inclusive of all customers and hiring local staff who are representative of their diverse communities. Furthermore, companies that focus on their employees’ performance, well-being, and job satisfaction are much more likely to outperform their peers and see higher revenue growth. 

Although capable managers lead successful café-roasteries, they rely on an effective management strategy. Businesses with this solid foundation can take community engagement a step further by hosting a range of events that bring community members together in their spaces.

Iconik Coffee Roasters, for instance, hosts events that support community engagement. Everything from cupping sessions, to barista competitions, to collaboration with local businesses, to music and art shows opens the doors for diverse groups of people to visit their cafés. 

“We want the community to feel like ICONIK is their place,” Sean says. “Events introduce new people to our brand and our mission; to connect customers and staff with coffee, community and each other.”

Research shows that people are more likely to visit coffee shops for social reasons rather than practical ones. Fostering a superb, all-embracing customer experience at events, as well as on a daily basis, can cement a café as a “third place” for an increasing number of people.

There are also practical implications for organising in-house events. Instead of paying the higher costs associated with larger industry festivals and trade shows, hosting smaller events can be a more accessible way to connect with potential new customers. 

Diversifying revenue streams

Beyond investing in customer service and hosting community activations, offering B2B services can extend reach even further. Coffee shops and roasters can connect with other local businesses, both in and out of the coffee industry, to attract new wholesale clients and support local economies.

“ICONIK offers comprehensive café design and review consulting solutions in addition to our coffee and equipment offerings. Businesses need more than coffee alone, and we provide solutions to manage overhead costs and keep money in their pockets,” Chase says, adding that diversifying into B2B services helped Iconik Coffee Roasters strengthen its revenue streams. The company also offers coffee classes for home and professional baristas.

“We supply café equipment and supplies from partners like Modbar, Slayer, and Eversys, with discounts for our business accounts,” Chase adds.

It’s a tricky time to operate a coffee shop or roastery. While financial challenges may be at the forefront of priorities, businesses also need to make sure they keep pace with the needs of their local communities.

“We love offering exceptional and unique specialty coffees, realising those sales are just the icing on the cake,” Sean concludes. “ICONIK is popular with the community precisely because of the experience we offer. Prioritising profitability and customer satisfaction simultaneously is possible, and we believe it’s the winning formula.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how the third place concept relates to coffee shops.

Photo credits: Iconik Coffee Roasters, Mike Flores

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Producers, roasters, and baristas alike are revitalising the island’s coffee industry through a growing focus on specialty coffee – and it’s reshaping the future of Puerto Rican coffee.

I spoke to Omar Torres and Kathy Muir at Gustos Coffee in Puerto Rico to learn more.

You may also like our article on the rise of Caribbean coffee roasters.

A history of Puerto Rican coffee

Coffee has been an integral part of Puerto Rican culture since its beginnings.

“There is a lot of pride in our coffee; it’s part of our culture and it’s in our blood,” says Omar Torres, the CEO of Gustos Coffee, which was first established by Omar and his wife, Grisel León, in 1999. Gusto’s farm is in Yauco, and the roasting facility is in San Juan.

“Almost every family in Puerto Rico at one point in time has or had a family member who was working in the coffee industry,” he adds.

The island has been growing coffee since the 1730s, when Spanish colonial powers introduced it as a cash crop. During this time, most coffee grown in Puerto Rico was consumed locally.

By the 1890s, the small island had established itself as an international coffee powerhouse. At its peak, Puerto Rico grew over 13.6 million kg of coffee.

“It was the golden era of coffee,” Omar says. However, the period that followed was in stark contrast. 

A major blow to Puerto Rican coffee production came in 1899, when the US government annexed the island from Spanish colonial rule. Puerto Rico’s farmers were henceforth incentivised to grow sugarcane, and coffee production dropped significantly.

Hurricanes have also played an unavoidable role in the island’s coffee story.

Tropical Storm San Liborio was one of the first recorded storms, which devastated the island’s southwest coffee lands in 1815. At the turn of the 20th century, an onslaught of hurricanes ravaged Puerto Rico, having disastrous consequences for its agricultural sector.

Moreover, the economic and socio-economic blow of hurricanes arguably worsened under US annexation. In the early 1900s, hurricanes frequently swept through already struggling farms. Tariffs imposed by European nations nearly halted Puerto Rican coffee imports, while Brazil became the primary source of coffee for the US.

Resilience defines the island’s coffee sector

With its coffee lands destroyed, Puerto Rico began relying on imported coffee in 1929 to meet local demand. By 1950, coffee had become a firmly established import industry; to this day, around two-thirds of the coffee consumed on the island is still imported.

“That felt like the beginning of the end of Puerto Rican coffee farms,” Omar says. 

In the 2010s, the island’s coffee production was already at an all-time low. Then, Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck in 2017, destroying upwards of 90% of the island’s coffee plants.

“Trees and farms were decimated,” Omar recounts. “To rebound from that was very difficult because we weren’t prepared.”

Hurricane Isaias hit in 2020 and set back the island’s coffee production once again.

Today, Puerto Rico’s coffee farms resemble something close to pre-Maria landscapes. But the lingering fear of another hurricane remains.

Still, producers remain resilient. When coffee farms were devastated by Hurricane Maria, Gustos Coffee worked for almost two years to rehabilitate their remaining trees and initiate replanting efforts. The company grew and distributed 100,000 trees to farmers in Yauco, along with 70,000 packages of essential supplies. 

“After a hurricane occurs, it’s common that the communities who live in the mountains leave because there’s nothing to sustain them there,” Omar says. “We needed to support these communities, providing them food and essential amenities, so that they would stay, and the farmers in the area would be motivated to replant their farms.” 

These efforts evolved into the Gustos Foundation, which has supported replantation efforts on the island. Gustos Coffee also opened a centre in the mountains of Yauco, where computers and printers are available for farmers to apply for agricultural grants and reimbursements.

Why key production challenges persist

The costs of production inflated drastically when the island became an unincorporated U.S. territory, subject to numerous trade barriers imposed by the Jones Act. US export tariffs, for example, make Puerto Rican coffee cost nearly three times as much as comparable quality coffees from other countries. 

US protectionist trade regulations also make it difficult and costly for Puerto Rican roasters to import green coffee. The US and Puerto Rico Departments of Agriculture are the only entities that can legally import green coffee into the island. 

An oligopoly of large roasters buys a vast majority of this imported coffee to blend with domestically grown beans. Independent roasters are largely prohibited from importing green coffee, and importing semi-roasted or fully roasted coffee incurs staggering import taxes.  

Production costs are exacerbated by labour shortages on coffee farms, which result in unpicked coffee rotting on the trees. The island’s ocean-locked borders and US immigration policies limit the flow of much-needed migrant labourers. Many coffee pickers on the island sometimes harvest unripe cherries in order to yield profitable volumes.

Additionally, farm owners must pay coffee pickers the US federal minimum wage, which essentially ensures that all Puerto Rican coffee is fair trade; however, this increases costs significantly.

Puerto Rico’s agricultural structure also keeps coffee prices low and disincentivises farmers to grow it. Since the last half of the 20th century, many have abandoned coffee production in favour of more profitable crops or have left farming altogether.

Companies like Gustos have helped farmers by paying them above fair prices for high-quality beans. This has caused a revitalisation of younger farmers to start growing coffee.

How Puerto Ricans are revitalising their coffee industry

After experiencing decades of failed aid programmes and a lack of government support, many farm owners and labourers have lost hope for significant policy change anytime soon.

Still, they are finding ways to invest in their island’s coffee sector.

“Puerto Rican coffee is more than a crop; it’s a symbol of our heritage and resilience,” Omar says. “We’ve been through so many hurricanes, and we always stand up the next day.”

In a testament to this perseverance, Gustos Coffee resumed operations within three days after Hurricane Maria, despite lacking electricity, fuel for delivery trucks and generators, and a roof on their warehouses and offices.

For over a quarter century, Omar and Grisel have invested in specialty coffee production and promoted the consumption of Puerto Rican specialty coffee. The company initially began selling coffee vending and espresso machines, but quickly expanded to growing and roasting coffee to gain more control over its supply chain.

“I realised I couldn’t get quality coffee from local roasters, so I started roasting my own,” Omar says. “We wanted to elevate the quality of coffee in Puerto Rico, and at the same time, we wanted to support the local farmers.”

The future of Puerto Rico’s coffee industry lies with specialty coffee

Producers, roasters, and baristas alike believe that the fate of Puerto Rico’s coffee industry relies on advancing quality standards. On-farm innovation, equitable trade practices, and education are key to these efforts.

Little of the island’s coffee meets specialty-grade standards, and the majority that does is exported abroad. A small but passionate cohort of producers is hoping to change this. 

Some are innovating with climate-smart farming practices, new varieties, and experimental processing methods, opting to absorb the high costs of production. This effort has sparked a revival of the Puerto Rican coffee industry, producing internationally acclaimed specialty coffee. 

Optimism is also buzzing among Puerto Rican producers, as the US’ universal trade tariffs could give their coffee a competitive edge in the global market. Not only is Puerto Rico exempt from import levies in the US market, but recent record C prices are narrowing the gap between the price received by Puerto Rican farmers and their costs of production – although not completely closing it.

These incremental economic wins may benefit the growing number of Puerto Rican farmers who are endeavouring to produce experimental microlots of specialty coffee.

Gustos Coffee demonstrates the trade structure necessary for advancing Puerto Rican specialty coffee. Core to their philosophy is paying farmers immediately profitable prices. This starkly contrasts the historical trade model in Puerto Rico, in which the government guaranteed farmers the sale of their coffee, but commonly at far below the cost of production. Farmers had to rely on incentives and grants from the USDA to break even.

To further support farmers, the company has also invested in a processing mill. 

“We have complete control of coffee quality from the moment it’s harvested to when we roast and serve it,” Omar explains. “When I speak to farmers, their encouragement and enthusiasm are very strong, and they are continuing to replant additional acres every year.”

Investing in education

As in many global markets, improving access to education is crucial for supporting the growth of specialty coffee.

In 2019, Gustos Coffee opened Academia de Café as Puerto Rico’s second certified Specialty Coffee Association campus, offering primarily Spanish classes, including Introduction to Coffee, Barista Skills, and Brewing Skills.

“With our focus on higher-quality coffee, we had to start an academy to teach people not only that we’re selling our coffee to, but also the general public,” Omar says, adding that some Puerto Ricans have historically lacked access to information about the higher costs of specialty coffee and sensory perception.

“Local coffee professionals are eager to advance to the next level and represent Puerto Rico,” says Kathy Muir, the manager of Academia de Café at Gustos Coffee.

A growing number of coffee producers are attending classes at the academy to gain insight into consumer trends and demands, which helps them access new markets and potentially increase their income. Therefore, Gustos Coffee aims to make its classes affordable for producers. 

“High-quality education has a price, but it needs to be fair so that producers feel good about and are able to spend their money on learning,” Kathy says, adding that some have already achieved a return on investment from the workshops.  

Kathy also notes how education creates more conscious coffee drinkers and opens the door for more potential customers. 

“Home baristas have been the academy’s largest and most enthusiastic cohort,” she tells me. “Prosumers recognise how investing in education helps them maximise the value of their home barista equipment.

“We offer grants for students and farmers to take part in our workshops. For example, we recently held a barista workshop for recently graduated high school students from coffee pickers and farmer families so they can find work while they pursue their college degrees.”

It’s clear that coffee holds a profound significance for Puerto Rico and its culture. Despite years of hardship and challenges, the sector remains resilient and continually innovates.

The island is already emerging as a specialty coffee origin, but it will take more time and investment before it can increase production and export levels.

In the meantime, education, ongoing support, and better representation remain key to success.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the future of specialty coffee in Puerto Rico.

Photo credits: Gustos Coffee

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Although Italy is the second-largest consumer of coffee in Europe, its deeply ingrained mindset about coffee has stalled the growth of the country’s specialty coffee market. Traditional coffeehouses have long outnumbered specialty coffee shops and roasters, and historic regulations have kept espresso prices unrealistically low.

Record arabica futures over the last year, however, are forcing Italians to reexamine their preconceptions of coffee – and specialty coffee is at the forefront of this cultural shift.

I spoke with Dario Fociani, Dafne Spadavecchia, and Zach Romanow at Faro, Aliena Coffee Roasters, and Luna by Faro in Rome to learn how they are challenging the status quo in the Italian coffee market.

You may also like our article on why espresso is so popular in Italy.

Why tradition holds its roots in Italian coffee culture

Coffee has been a quintessential part of Italian culture since the invention of the espresso machine. Italy’s Ministry of Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Policies has even submitted several UNESCO applications to preserve espresso’s Italian roots – although none have so far been successful.

The country drinks around 14 billion espressos every year, reaffirming the long-standing tradition of drinking fast, cheap coffee quickly, often while standing at the bar in a traditional coffeehouse.

To compensate for the higher consumption of short, small drinks like espresso, many Italians prefer bold, intense, and bitter dark-roasted coffee. While some may assert it’s a mere taste preference, Italy’s penchant for traditional espresso has limited the maturation of its coffee market.

“For over fifty years, many old-school roasteries have spread misinformation, shaping a narrow idea of quality based on intensity, bitterness, and routine,” says Dario Fociani, the co-founder of Faro, Rome’s first-ever specialty coffee shop, which was recently voted the 26th best coffee shop in the world. 

“Most Italians judge coffee not by its taste, but by how it makes them feel – strong, fast, familiar. It’s a cultural reflex, almost subconscious,” he adds.

The darker the roast profile, the easier it is to mask defects and low-quality beans, too. When roasters and coffeehouses feel incentivised to buy low-quality and cheap green coffee, it’s inherently at the expense of sustainability.

“Italy’s coffee culture began – and stagnated – with a dangerous mindset that undervalues espresso as merely transactional instead of a delicacy,” says Dafne Spadavecchia, the co-founder and general manager of Faro and Aliena Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery opened by Faro in 2021.

“Our habits as Romans are very strong and deep-rooted,” she adds. “The Italian coffee sector is quite resistant to critique and change.”

Simultaneously, many Italians conflate specialty coffee with unreasonably high prices.

In the 1910s, Italian authorities enforced a maximum price for certain “necessities”, including coffee, reinforcing widely held beliefs that coffee should be cheap.

Today, many consumers, business owners, and baristas alike resist the rising cost of their typical €1 espresso, thereby allowing some café and roastery operators to continue sourcing low-quality, robusta-heavy dark roast blends.

Specialty coffee is defying the norms in Italy

Coffee is undeniably central to Italian culture; yet, the long-standing tradition of fast, inexpensive espresso is slowly fading as specialty coffee begins to gain traction.

Virtually zero specialty coffee brands existed in Italy a decade ago; now, there are more than 100. One of the first to open in 2016, Faro has since spearheaded the steady growth of Italy’s specialty coffee scene.

“The Italian coffee market is very late to the specialty trend, and entrepreneurs have been slow to enter because they believe Italy is a very traditional market that will be difficult to break into,” says Zach Romanow, a partner at Luna by Faro, a new multi-functional specialty café and restaurant opened in April 2025, that emphasises a focus on the five senses to enhance appreciation of high-quality food and drink.

“But the fact that it’s not easy also means there’s a lot of room for a newcomer to stand apart and offer a level of quality that really surprises people, and this is what the team at Faro and Luna has done so well,” he adds.

Offering light and medium roast profiles that highlight acidity, sweetness, and complex flavour notes, rather than bitterness and “roastiness”, specialty coffee is challenging traditional flavour palettes and reshaping the consumer mindset about coffee quality and pricing.

“We didn’t just want to serve different coffee – we wanted to change the conversation,” Dario says. “By revealing that coffee can be clean, aromatic, and deeply expressive of its origin, it shifts the focus from habit to curiosity.”

Traditional Italian coffee culture continues to cater to a quick stint standing at the bar and sipping espresso with little attention paid towards its origin, processing, or unique attributes.

By initiating conversations about transparent sourcing and quality, coffee shops like Faro and Luna by Faro have become a point of reference for Italians seeking a deeper understanding of their daily espresso.  

“Specialty coffee invites people to question what they think they know,” Dario says. “It brings traceability, terroir, and craftsmanship into a world that has long been standardised and industrialised.”

Challenging an “old school” mindset

Despite the Roman specialty coffee scene taking off, espresso culture is progressing faster in the north of Italy than in the south. Shifting such long-standing practices nationwide will surely require patience.

Although many Italian industries produce luxury goods and Italian consumers are often willing to pay more for higher-quality products, this mindset doesn’t usually extend to coffee.

“Instead, many people see coffee as ‘just’ coffee,” Dafne explains.

Teaching consumers that specialty coffee is a luxury good is the first and highest hurdle, given the country’s traditional café culture. This has become an even more pertinent conversation as coffee prices continue to remain high and volatile, forcing many Italian coffee consumers to reconsider their perceptions of how much an espresso “should” cost.

“It’s often necessary to educate customers about what a quality cup of coffee means and why it needs to cost more than €1,” Zach says. 

The onus, therefore, falls on the Italian coffee industry as a whole to normalise higher prices. 

“The hardest challenge is to substitute and replace the word ‘high’ with’ fair,’” Dafne says. “If a product has been underpriced for over ten years, you can’t blame the consumer.” 

Critically, the industry must work towards elevating the underappreciated and undervalued profession of the barista in Italy. Not only can they demonstrate the level of craft within the entire speciality coffee value chain, but they also frequently act as a bridge between the two ends of the supply chain, thereby deepening consumers’ understanding of coffee production and, consequently, quality.

The importance of small coffee brands – traditional and specialty alike – collaborating in these educational efforts cannot be overstated. Rising menu prices pose a greater risk to independent cafés, which are up against large chains with greater capacity to absorb costs.

However, specialty coffee businesses like Faro, Aliena, and Luna are in a uniquely position to reframe higher menu prices as an opportunity to raise their standards for service and products.

Rising coffee prices have opened up learning opportunities

Because Italians perceive espresso price hikes as more drastic than in other markets, they are more urgently motivated to learn why it’s happening.

“By supporting curiosity and creating further awareness, we can encourage more people to drink better quality coffee,” Dafne says. 

Not only does specialty coffee broaden awareness of quality and flavour, but also of social and environmental factors affecting the coffee industry, from the impacts of C market volatility and climate change on coffee farmers to the opportunities to build transparent and long-term relationships across the value chain. 

“Italians already recognise good agriculture when it comes to fruits, vegetables, olive oil, flour, cheese, or ethically-raised meat,” Dafne says. “Our mission is to help them see coffee the same way: as a tropical fruit, not a packaged commodity.”

Faro opened Luna to support this movement, showcasing how fine dining and specialty coffee are complementary. The new café integrates specialty coffee with exceptional food, artisanal baking, natural wine, and curated art to create an elevated level of hospitality that draws inspiration from the Slow Food philosophy.

“Luna offers a deeper, more immersive sensory experience – one where you can engage all five senses, and where people open not just to flavour, but to a deeper connection to their food and drink,” Dario says. “With more seating and no service counter, it distances itself from the traditional fast-paced bar model, bringing us closer to our ideal of what a coffee space can be.

“It’s not just about coffee or food – it’s about memory, emotion, and perception.”

Despite Italy’s resistance to specialty coffee, companies like Faro, Luna, and Aliena are proving that the country’s coffee drinkers have an open mind to elevated experiences. 

“People have underestimated how open the Italian market is to appreciating the quality of ingredients, the craft of a highly trained barista, and all the little details that go into making truly great coffee,” Zach says. 

While coffee consumers are gaining an appreciation for more complex and delicate flavour profiles, the negative attitude towards expensive coffee remains uncompromising. The gap between perceived and actual value persists, as Italian consumers have a long way to go in understanding that ethical sourcing and fair wages come with associated costs. 

Critically, specialty coffee culture can’t be framed as intimidating or exclusive. 

“We educate with gentleness,” Dario says. “From how we describe tasting notes to how we explain brewing methods, everything is meant to spark curiosity. Our team is trained to listen first, not to preach.

“The challenge is to build trust and culture slowly, with consistency and integrity,” he adds. “Operators need to stay committed to quality and education, while remaining open, patient, and kind.”

Italy’s coffee culture finds itself at a crossroads. The country’s traditional mindset about espresso is likely to prevail, but specialty coffee is reshaping the future of the Italian market.

“Specialty coffee shops aren’t here to replace the old world – we’re here to build a new one,” Dario concludes. “One made of gentleness, sensory awareness, and a renewed connection with the land and those who cultivate it.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the history of the espresso machine.

Photo credits: Faro

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Regularly cleaning all the equipment in a coffee shop can seem overwhelming, but it is a non-negotiable for running a successful business. Coffee equipment marred with coffee residue, limescale, and milk buildup can, at best, turn customers off and, at worst, escalate into a food safety nightmare.

To learn about best practices for cleaning coffee equipment, I spoke with Nastasia Pavlis and Jason Bond at Cafetto and Dominick Majdandzic at White Horse Coffee. Read on for their insight on how to develop regular and fail-safe cleaning procedures. 

You may also like our article on why equipment longevity needs to be a priority for coffee shops.

The importance of regular equipment cleaning procedures

One of the most crucial yet often overlooked factors in extracting great espresso is the use of clean equipment. Using pristine espresso machines, batch brewers, and grinders helps best express the complex, delicate flavours of coffee that old grounds and milk residue can easily overpower.

Build-up of stale grounds and oils can also compromise machine performance and longevity. For example, coffee fines and oils stick to the ridges of grinder burrs, and can cause blockages if left to accumulate.

Regular cleaning practices not only keep equipment in excellent working order but also prevent health and safety risks that coffee shops can’t afford to ignore. The constant moisture, milk residue, and coffee oils that are inevitably produced in coffee equipment create an ideal environment for microbial growth. A diversity of bacteria can breed in coffee equipment, posing a risk to the health of customers and staff and resulting in failed health inspections.

With already razor-thin margins and a highly competitive market, specialty coffee shops cannot afford to use unclean equipment. Fortunately, maintaining cleanliness is a cost-effective investment.  

Matching beverage quality with cleanliness

Specialty coffee shops invest extensive time and money curating exceptional beverages, training stellar baristas, and purchasing premium equipment. Equal investment should be directed towards cleaning so that clogged, corroded, or broken machines don’t ultimately negate all of the above.  

Thorough cleaning regimens should include cleaning solutions designed specifically for coffee shops. Cafetto’s product development, for instance, is guided by three key principles: performance, safety, and sustainability. 

“We deliver products that coffee professionals can trust from every angle – products that perform and protect to the highest standard, are safe to use, and support the fast-paced nature of hospitality environments,” says Nastasia Pavlis, the brand manager at Cafetto.  

She explains that their products undergo rigorous internal and external testing to meet globally recognised certifications such as Australian Certified Organic, Halal, Kosher, and National Science Foundation. 

Notably, the rising demand for eco-friendly cleaning products in the coffee industry means café owners are seeking cleaning solutions with organic and biodegradable ingredients that minimise risks to human health and the environment. 

Cafetto’s products, for example, contain biodegradable surfactants and are free from genetically modified ingredients and phosphates. The EVO Espresso Machine Cleaner delivers cleaning power without damaging internal components, and Grinder Clean is the industry’s first and still-leading organic-certified grinder cleaner.

How can coffee shops implement rigorous cleaning protocols correctly and consistently?

“Developing rigorous cleaning standards starts with a solid foundation of education, clarity, and commitment,” Nastasia explains. 

She elaborates that coffee shops should first establish a structured cleaning protocol tailored to their specific equipment, beverage offerings, and workflow. These protocols must align with the equipment manufacturers’ recommendations and best-practice hygiene standards in the coffee industry. 

Next, effective barista training is essential for café operators to uphold the highest standards.

“A documented and visible cleaning schedule, broken down into daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, is absolutely essential for staying on top of cleaning requirements. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to build consistency across the team,” Nastasia says.  

Each task should clearly outline the correct cleaning product, dosage, and contact time. 

“Nothing is ever a guesswork game – always take the time to explain the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ to your staff,” she adds. “That’s how you turn good habits into long-term standards.”

When implementing best practices for coffee equipment maintenance, Dominick Majdandzic, the co-founder of White Horse Coffee in Sydney, Australia, advises that baristas should be prepared to get their hands dirty. 

“There simply is nothing like grabbing a cloth and sticking it deep into the crevasse of the coffee machine and wiping and scrubbing down the coffee grind, oil, and murk,” he tells me. “Most tasks can be apparent from getting down low and looking up to see other surfaces needing cleaning.”

Prominent coffee professional James Hoffman distills coffee machine maintenance down to the “finger test,” where a finger is wiped across coffee equipment – portafilters, groupheads, grinder hoppers and burrs, steam wands, etc. – to ensure it leaves no significant residue. If you can see or feel the residue on your finger, you can most likely taste the bitter, harsh notes it imparts in the coffee. 

Implementing cleaning schedules in coffee shops

Cafe owners and baristas may find it less intimidating to break down cleaning routines on a calendar. Every coffee shop will implement variable cleaning regimens based on local water quality, sales volume, and the thoroughness with which baristas carry out daily cleaning. 

However, James Hoffman, Dominick, and other coffee professionals agree, more or less, on general timeframes for implementing specific protocols.

After every use

• Purge the espresso machine grouphead for a few seconds after pulling a shot. 
• Purge the steam wand for a few seconds and wipe it with a cloth. Replace cleaning rags two to three times a day. 
• Thoroughly rinse pitchers after every use. 
• Wipe down drip trays and countertops whenever milk or coffee is spilled. 

Being diligent about all of the above will significantly extend the time necessary between deep cleans.

Daily closing tasks

• Clean groupheads using espresso machine cleaner, such as Cafetto’s EVO, by inserting a blind filter basket into the group head and following the machine’s cleaning cycle.
• Soak portafilters in espresso machine cleaner for ten minutes.
• Scrub shot glasses and all serving vessels with hot water, detergent, and sanitiser.
• Empty the hopper of coffee beans overnight and wipe down the external casing of the grinder.
• Clean grinder hoppers and exit shoots with a vacuum or brush. At least every three days – the time when coffee goes stale – wash the hopper with detergent and run specialised grinder cleaners through the burrs.
• Clear drip trays, drains, and hoses to avoid clogs.

Monthly and yearly deep cleans

• Clean milk lines. White Horse Coffee uses Inverso milk jug and crockery cleaner to wash milk jugs monthly, and ceramic cups and teapots quarterly. 
• Descale espresso machines, batch brewers, carafes, and kettles every six to 12 months, depending on how strong a cleaner you use and the minerality of your water.

Limescale, the buildup of calcium carbonate naturally found in hard water, can damage machines and shorten their lifespan. Alternatively, the acidity of soft water can corrode and damage equipment. 

Consider installing a filtration system to regulate your water minerality. Otherwise, descaling entails using an acid cleaner to break down the lime; you can invest in specialised descalers to reduce the chance of corrosion. 

Upholding high standards

Ultimately, what constitutes “clean enough” varies for every café, but it should never stray from regulations regarding food safety and employee and customer health.

“Working across 75 countries, we’ve seen a wide range of cleaning standards shaped by local regulations, cultural practices, equipment usage, and climate,” says Jason Bond, the Deputy General Manager at Cafetto. “The end goal – clean, safe, high-performing coffee equipment – is shared globally, and cleaning products like Cafetto offer the path to achieving it.

“We’ve also seen variations in water quality, climate, and usage patterns that influence how often certain cleaning tasks need to be done. For instance, high-humidity environments may require more frequent attention to mould prevention, while areas with hard water need robust descaling routines,” he adds.

Cleanliness at competitions

Upholding such high standards is also crucial at competitions. Cafetto was the Official Cleaning Product Sponsor of the World Barista Championship, a competition that sets the highest standards in specialty coffee, from 2008 to 2023.

“In an arena where precision, fairness, and cleanliness are non-negotiable, our products helped ensure equipment operated at its absolute best, removing variables and allowing baristas to focus solely on their performance,” Jason says. “Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand our support of the specialty coffee community through a new partnership with SCA UK, where we will serve as the official cleaning product and supplies sponsor for all UK Coffee Championships from 2025 to 2027. 

“This partnership reinforces our belief in nurturing local talent and raising standards at every level of the industry.”

Specialty coffee prides itself on precision and quality, so overlooking the role of deep cleaning equipment is a misstep. 

Investing in high-quality cleaning products and implementing regular routines isn’t just about maintaining machinery; it’s a strategic investment in customer satisfaction, staff safety, and the exceptional coffee experience.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why serving excellent espresso means using clean equipment.

Photo credits: Cafetto

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Please note: Cafetto is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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