A coffee and beverage on-the-go program has to meet many needs. Consumers might pick up drinks on the way to work, order delivery to the office, or swing back later in the day for a cold, customized pick-me-up.    

Meanwhile, this demand for more options and flexibility puts pressure on labor. The challenge: Deliver convenience and customization without sacrificing quality or increasing complexity. The good news? The industry is rising to the challenge. Operators are doing more with less by leaning into smarter processes and technology. More than 3 in 4 operators say technology gives them a competitive edge.¹

Now’s a good time to ensure a beverage program is keeping pace. Here are some tips to meet patrons where, and how, they’re purchasing beverages today.

Rethinking the Coffee Program

• Train for quality + consistency: Quality remains a top concern, especially for specialty coffee. Satisfaction with AFH coffee “level of service” has declined over the past 5 years,² making well-trained staff and properly maintained setups more important than ever.

• Offer a diverse selection: Today’s consumers expect options. Coffee should come hot, iced, or as cold brew, with an assortment of creamers and toppings. And don’t forget carbonated soft drinks, juice, and iced tea². Within those, variety matters — from classic orange juice to more elevated options, like blackberry hibiscus lemonade.

Make It Easy to Order (and execute)

• Offer self-service beverage stations: Self-service stations can be the ultimate convenience, requiring light maintenance while giving guests control. Coffees, juices, teas, and flavored waters all lend themselves well here.

• Customization is key: Coffees and teas shine with a well-stocked choice of creamers and sweeteners. Plant-based creamers are now used in more than one-third of AFH cold coffees,² and creative pairings like coconut lime “dirty soda” creamer.

Drive Traffic Across Dayparts

• Pair beverages with food: Food pairings and combo can increase consumption and check averages. In fact, 45% of AFH hot specialty coffee is enjoyed with food, up 13% over the past five years.² QSR and LSR operators can bundle throughout the day while FSRs can extend coffee across breakfast, lunch/dinner, and dessert.

• Keep up with seasonality: Guests love seasonal drinks. Sales of pumpkin coffees, for example, now begin as early as August, so make sure to feature seasonal beverages throughout the year. An impressive 16% of AFH cold coffee consumed uses seasonal flavors.²

Meet Guests Where They’re Ordering

• Embrace delivery and digital: Coffee delivery, whether third-party or direct, have become hugely popular with consumers. Two in five restaurant orders were placed digitally in the last year,³making off-premise readiness essential.

• Use tech to stay competitive: Mobile apps, self-serve machines, and emerging AI tools are shaping expectations. More than half of consumers — and more than 70% of Gen Z — are interested in restaurant apps,³ while 21%  prefer self-serve options.²

• Don’t overlook packaging: Convenience extends to the final step. Spillproof, tamper-evident, and sustainable packaging improve the guest experience and support repeat business.

1. NRA State of the Restaurant Industry (2024); 2. Datassential 2025 BUZZ Annual Report (Mar. 2025); 3. Datassential Restaurant Technology (Nov. 2024); 4. Datassential The New AI Landscape (Feb. 2025)

*Content provided in partnership with Nestle®