Brewing Up Business: How Coffee Sales Stay Hot Year-Round

From lawn care to ice cream concepts, there are many seasonal businesses that completely depend on the weather. Fortunately for coffee shop owners, there is consistent, year-round demand for their product. Hot coffee sales spike in the winter – especially around the holidays – but consumers still find themselves at coffee shops regardless of the season or temperature.

Of course, fruit-based smoothies and other lighter beverage sales increase in the summer months. But for the 83 percent of American adults who consume coffee daily, the idea of cutting out the caffeinated beverage in the summer months is simply ridiculous. Here are a few ways coffee shop owners have solidified their coffee as a year-round staple:

Cold Brews

Although coffee drinkers have never quit cold-turkey in the summer, the rise of the cold brew has revolutionized the coffee industry and helped drive summer coffee sales for years. Cold brew was once a regional curiosity largely limited to New Orleans and southern regions. About 10 years ago, however, cold brews were adopted by many other coffee shops around the United States and world. By 2015, the cold brew had established its place as a mainstay in the market.

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Cold brews are made by steeping coffee grounds in room-temperature water for six to 20 hours. Unlike hot coffee, this allows the brew to be served over ice without diluting the coffee flavor. Hot water also brings out the acids in coffee, making cold brews – with their lower acidity – the preferred taste and beverage for many connoisseurs. Aside from their unique and smoother taste, cold brews and iced coffee are also the go-to summer drinks for many coffee lovers. This offers the coffee taste and caffeine they crave, while still giving them a lighter option to help cool down.

Specialty Blended and Iced Drinks

​Offering specialty blended and iced drinks is another way coffee shop owners capitalize on the summer months. From smoothies to coffee-based cold beverages and frozen-blended coffee, plenty of coffee shops are now offering a much greater variety of beverages in the summer. Many have even included these drinks on their standard menu, while offering special promotions and limited-time summer drinks to help boost summer sales. This keeps customers excited and engaged with the brand, while also giving them the wide variety of drink choices they increasingly want.

Contrary to what you may think, coffee sales do not dramatically cool down as the weather heats up. In fact, many people prefer hot coffee year-round, as espresso remains the top coffee order each season. But unlike other food products, coffee’s versatile nature allows it to be prepared and served many different ways to adapt to any seasonal preferences consumers may have. So, coffee shop owners benefit from adding cold brews and blended coffee drinks to their menus, and customers benefit from the wide variety of options available to get their caffeine fix.

If you’re interested in getting involved in a franchise opportunity with high year-round demand, download the PJ’s Coffee franchise brochure today.