Coffee has never been more popular than it is today; there is literally a Starbucks on every corner. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the coffee business is how its popularity has spread to less traditional markets such as fast food restaurants, gas stations and donut shops. Even these less traditional markets have begun to see the popularity and financial popularity of coffee. McDonalds has even rolled out their “designer” coffee drinks, the Frappe, it’s available in 3 sizes and two flavors – mocha and caramel. Plus McDonalds is also selling a regular iced coffee. I’m not sure if these coffee offering are only available for the summer or a permanent addition to the menu, but clearly if McDonalds is embarrassing the product, it’s safe to say that designer coffee has gone main stream.
There are a lot of potential markets that could be well served by coffee vending, malls, office buildings, hospitals and ice hockey rinks. I’m sure that when most people think about coffee vending, they think of the nasty horrible coffee usually associated with late night hospital visits, but this is no longer the case, coffee vending has come a long way. Not only are these coffee vending machines capable of vending an excellent cup of coffee but they capable of grinding beans and steaming milk.
Today’s coffee vending machines are stocked with premium beans and first rate quality products. They can dispense traditional plain coffee as well as upscale drinks such as cappuccinos, espressos, lattes, hot chocolate, chai tea, and mochaccinos. No doubt, you would be surprised at the variety and quality of coffee products that are available. Coffee consumption is definitely on the rise the United States, over 70% of adults in the US drink coffee and the vast majority drinks about 2-3 cups a day.
The average cost of a premium drink is over $3 and over 8 billion dollars are spent on premium coffee drinks every year. Although Starbucks has closed down several locations to consolidate their market due to the downturn in the economy, coffee consumption shows no signs of slowing down; it’s just moved to more mainstream and convenient locations.
From a vending perspective, one of the best things about coffee vending is that coffee drinks have a very high profit markup; sometimes it may be even be higher than 70%. So, if you’re looking for an interesting addition to expand your vending business and capitalize on the coffee trend, then coffee vending may be an excellent addition to your fleet.