On The Menu: Beverage Data 2014
Cross-Channel Beverage Menu Prevalence
Percent offering
When analyzing which beverages are offered across multiple channels, data outliers include obvious trends such as the prevalence of packaged beverages in c-stores. College & university (C&U) overindexed on smoothies and specialty coffee drinks.
| Beverage | C-stores | QSR/fast casual | C&U | Hospitals | Total* |
| Dispensed regular coffee | 98% | 57% | 94% | 95% | 89% |
| Packaged soft drinks | 97% | 51% | 82% | 95% | 82% |
| Dispensed soft drinks | 86% | 87% | 96% | 74% | 73% |
| Dispensed iced tea | 65% | 81% | 86% | 72% | 72% |
| Packaged energy drinks | 98% | 23% | 71% | 60% | 58% |
| Packaged coffee drinks | 95% | 3% | 64% | 53% | 50% |
| Made-to-order specialty coffee drinks |
16% | 25% | 63% | 42% | 31% |
| Made-to-order smoothies | 13% | 30% | 57% | 27% | 27% |
| Dispensed hot tea | 27% | 17% | 32% | 19% | 25% |
Source: FARE 2014 State of Foodservice Study
*Total includes nursing homes, long-term care, senior living
Cross-Channel Beverage Growth Expectations
Overall, c-store operators seem more optimistic about beverage sales growth than their QSR/fast-casual and non-commercial brethren.
Which two of the following foodservice beverage categories do you believe have the highest sales growth potential in the next year?
| Beverage | C-stores | QSR/Fast casual | C&U | Hospitals | Total* |
| Made-to-order specialty coffee drinks |
19% | 33% | 42% | 28% | 28% |
| Packaged energy drinks | 42% | 10% | 28% | 18% | 24% |
| Made-to-order smoothies | 15% | 31% | 34% | 19% | 23% |
| Packaged soft drinks | 24% | 6% | 13% | 34% | 19% |
| Dispensed regular coffee | 24% | 10% | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Dispensed iced tea | 19% | 31% | 7% | 11% | 14% |
| Dispensed soft drinks | 25% | 21% | 1% | 12% | 12% |
| Packaged coffee drinks | 17% | 0% | 18% | 4% | 10% |
| Dispensed hot tea | 1% | 6% | 7% | 1% | 3% |
| None of the above | 4% | 23% | 17% | 24% | 22% |
Source: FARE 2014 State of Foodservice Study
*Total includes nursing homes, long-term care, senior living
Coffee Menu Importance: Retail vs. Restaurant
Year ending December 2013
Traditional coffee has the highest importance at c-stores, while specialty coffee is still highest at QSRs.
| Channel | Menu importance*** |
| Traditional coffee | |
| C-store | 9.6% |
| Food & drug | 4.3% |
| QSR | 7.2% |
| Specialty coffee | |
| C-store | 3.4% |
| Food & drug | 1.7% |
| QSR | 6.6% |
Source: The NPD Group/CREST
***Percent of meals/snacks that include item
Day-Part Distribution
Most away-from-home serving incidences for coffee happen in the morning, with 68% of brewed-coffee servings, for example, being poured at that day-part, according to Datassential. However, while more than one-half of iced- and frozen-coffee incidences occur in the morning, a respectable percentage—or one-third—happen midday.
| Coffee type | Morning | Midday | Evening |
| Brewed coffee | 68% | 24% | 8% |
| Specialty coffee | 60% | 27% | 13% |
| Iced coffee | 55% | 34% | 11% |
| Frozen coffee | 53% | 33% | 13% |
| Iced tea | 26% | 54% | 20% |
| Hot tea | 52% | 31% | 16% |
Source: Datassential
NEXT: Beverage Use & Traffic Drivers
