In recent years, drink customisation has evolved from a novelty into a strategic cornerstone for coffee shops around the world.

Gen Z consumers, in particular, are reshaping the coffee landscape with their willingness to spend more on personalised, premium beverages that reflect both their tastes and values.

With the rise of mobile ordering apps and digital menus, customers now expect the ability to tailor their drinks with a wide variety of options. These range from different flavour combinations and textures to health-conscious add-ons. 

This shift has prompted coffee shops to innovate and adapt, introducing everything from cold foam to house-made syrups that enhance or transform the flavour profiles of coffee drinks.

With this in mind, it begs the question: Are highly customised drinks pushing us too far away from specialty coffee?

Luke Wang of CAYE Technology, Nefeli Bouti of Latte Art Factory, and Patrick O’Malley of Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters share their perspectives.

You may also like our article on why coffee shops need to stand out with customised beverages.

Why Gen Z is driving the trend of beverage customisation

Specialty coffee has long prioritised the “pure” expression of terroir and processing. But café operators and roasters can’t afford to ignore the growing trend towards customised coffee.

A recent study from the UK roaster Lincoln and York shows that 75% of coffee consumers aged between 18 and 34 – who have the highest spending power in the industry – want to customise their to-go coffee drinks. 

“Competition within the beverage industry is intensifying, and brands must focus on the trend of customisation to keep up,” says Luke Wang, the Chief Technology Officer at coffee equipment manufacturer CAYE Technology. “With Gen Z redefining consumption habits, beverages are increasingly seen as an extension of personal values.”

While millennials still largely embrace filter coffee and flat whites, Gen Z is boldly reshaping how coffee is marketed, experienced, and enjoyed.

“​The trend of coffee customisation can be attributed to the fact that younger people have started to drink coffee earlier than older generations,” says Nefeli Bouti, the senior marketing and brand manager at automated beverage dispensing solution Latte Art Factory. “Social media is another key factor, which is primarily used by the younger generations.”

With social media driving visibility and influence, beverages have become the ideal canvas for creativity and flavour exploration. The days when the height of beverage personalisation meant a few pumps of caramel syrup or swapping cow’s milk for a plant-based alternative have seemingly disappeared.

Indeed, the more extravagant or leftfield beverage customised coffee is, the more traction it will likely receive. The viral scallion latte, made popular by Chinese coffee shops in summer 2024, is a case in point. The drink amassed 20 million views on platforms like TikTok, proving how personalised drinks can be clever marketing tools for coffee businesses.

A shift away from black coffee

Beverage customisation is undeniably reshaping how consumers experience coffee globally. 

The factors that once defined the third wave and specialty coffee movements – meticulous brewing, single origin micro lots, and supply chain transparency – have arguably less influence than in previous years.

Instead, there’s a new wave of high customisation, driven by creativity, personal expression, and the demand for experiences, rather than “just a beverage”. For younger consumers, in particular, black filter coffee, or even traditional milk-based drinks, simply don’t make the cut.

“Customers want more variety and exciting components and colours. Younger people follow trends led by national and regional chains, and specialty coffee is trying to capture those clients,” says Patrick O’Malley, the owner of Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters and the International Barista & Coffee Academy in Arizona, US. 

Large coffee chains typically allow extensive modification to any drink, sometimes to the point where the final beverage barely resembles its original format.

Starbucks is the leading example. Drink customisation is a core component of its business, driving sales and reinforcing consumer loyalty. But in recent years, extensive add-ons have clearly taken their toll on profitability and store performance.

Endless beverage customisation options and disorganised mobile ordering pick-up systems have caused chaos, prolonging wait times and harming customer service. Sales in key markets like the US and China dropped sharply, prompting shares to fall by a record 16% in May 2024.

As part of the Back to Starbucks plan, a return to its “coffeehouse” roots, CEO Brian Niccol has curbed customisation options for mobile ordering in a bid to contain an influx of extra ingredients and add-ons that slow down workflow.

Indeed, the reality of customised drinks can have a negative impact on coffee shop operations. Limited storage space, cost control, workflow efficiency, and the need for consistency can all suffer if proper systems and safeguards aren’t in place. 

Baristas can easily be overwhelmed with long lists of randomised alterations, slowing down workflow and increasing the risk of mistakes.

“It’s a tricky situation to manage and balance, but with creativity and attention to detail, it’s possible,” Patrick adds.

Cafés need creative constraint

Like the generations before them, Gen Z is redefining what coffee can be. Specialty coffee shops, once the advocates of flavour purity, now face a new challenge: staying creative and adapting to new trends without losing their values.

“Specialty coffee shops can keep quality at the forefront by offering a core menu that focuses on the craft and flavour of high-quality beans,” Nefeli says. “It’s all about finding the balance between creativity and quality. Customisation doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality. 

“When we use great ingredients and lean on smart tools that take pressure off our workflow, we can keep the focus on what matters: making good coffee. It’s about elevating the experience, not just adding options,” she adds.

In the context of specialty coffee, customisation options should focus on additions or swap-outs that enhance and redefine the quality of an already excellent coffee experience. 

“Customisation can be curated by adjusting brew strength, choosing alternative milks, or adding flavours and ingredients that complement rather than overpower the coffee, making it easier to enjoy something personal without compromising on the integrity of the main ingredient,” Nefeli tells me.

As with the coffee they serve, cafés should be intentional and careful with their additional ingredients. Buying from trusted suppliers or making syrups, add-ons, and extra ingredients in-house can maintain quality standards and prioritise the use of seasonal, or even local, produce.

Reinventing classic or viral drinks can also work in their favour. GAIL’s in the UK recently launched an iced muscovado latte – a different take on the wildly popular brown sugar latte – while Blue Bottle in the US serves a saffron vanilla latte. 

“We create meaningful signature drinks by using local and seasonal ingredients and thinking outside the box,” Patrick says. “Putting a twist on traditional drinks and making them relevant in today’s market is an effective way to stand out. Think like a high-end cocktail lounge, creating signature mocktails with exciting flavours and names.

“Our menu includes the Lush, a house-made pistachio latte, the Drift, a house-made hibiscus and coconut sparkling americano, the Verdant, a ceremonial-grade macha latte with pistachio and orange blossom, and the Sol, a double shot of espresso, over orange blossom, honey, and a splash of orange juice,” he adds.

Leaning on automation & equipment

Offering customisation is key to meeting modern consumer expectations, but giving customers too much freedom to alter or replace ingredients in drinks can become counterproductive. 

Baristas also need to be able to keep up with new menu additions. Not only are drinks evolving at a rapid pace, but the machinery used to produce them is also changing. Automation in bar setups has become increasingly important, especially in high-volume cafés with extended menus.

“Offering a wide variety of customised drinks can make the process more complicated and time-consuming for baristas,” Nefeli says. “Automation can help make tasks that take the most time or require more attention faster and easier.”

Automated coffee machines, tampers, distribution tools, and milk foaming and dispensing equipment can help businesses adapt to evolving times.

“Coffee shop operators can leverage automation and data-driven strategies to turn personalised demands into scalable business models, while enhancing operational efficiency and user experience,” Luke says.

Beverage customisation doesn’t have to mean a loss of coffee quality and brand identity. When done with intention, it can enhance customer satisfaction and experience.

Specialty coffee shops must respond to the trends being shaped by younger consumers, or risk losing a vital customer base in an already competitive and evolving market. Striking the right balance between staying true to core values and adapting to the shifting landscape of coffee consumption is becoming increasingly essential. 

“Regardless of how the market changes, one thing remains clear: truly successful specialty coffee shops always have a stable core menu,” Luke concludes. “Even as stores frequently introduce trendy new beverages, it’s the consistently high-quality coffee that ultimately brings customers back.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why customised drinks are set to become more popular.

Photo credits: CAYE Technology, Latte Art Factory

Perfect Daily Grind

Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!