So chances are, you are opening a cafe or coffee shop & you have a million questions running through your head.
You know, questions like like, how do I make cold brew? What size drinks are the best seller? Where should I get my beans from? How should I schedule my staff? What POS should I use? Even this, what are the most popular coffee syrup flavors on the market right now?
The list goes on and on. Believe me, I personally have opened 5 different concepts and learned the hard way, but Brand My Cafe is here to make it easy for you. That is why our team here at BrandMyCafe.com set out to create this blog as your go to resource for any roadblocks you hit when opening (or growing) your new food service brand!
So let’s get back to the to the topic? What are the most popular coffee syrup flavors that your consumers will love the most? As you know, companies like Torani or Monin are some of the biggest brands out there, especially for cafes around the world. Their selection of flavors exceed something along the lines of 50+ different flavors and some are clearly not meant for coffee (like Hawaiian Island) but some are super trendy in the USA like Toasted Marshmallow. Below we will map out the top 5 most popular coffee syrup flavors we feel are a must-have for any coffee shop (starting with the most popular).
One major thing I want to add before diving into this flavors, you really want to understand your demographic & target audience when you are launching your coffee shop. If your location or area of operation is heavy into the 3rd Wave Coffee movement, flavors are often frowned upon since they were made so popular in coffee from big brands like Starbucks. If you are going for a similar audience as Starbucks’ consumers, you are going to be accommodating some crazy flavor requests, but also a large customer base. Let’s begin.
1 Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is often overlooked but really one of the simplest syrups (no pun intended) to have in your coffee offering. Simple Syrup can be purchased but is super easy to make (we highly recommend checking out our simple guide to making Simple Syrup). Simple syrup is a great alternative as a sweetener compared to cane sugar or raw sugar. Consumers prefer this in their iced beverages over traditional sugar because it dilutes and mixes a lot better than sugar crystals.
2. Vanilla
Vanilla is a classic flavor, home to one of your (soon to be) most popular drinks. The Vanilla Ice Latte.
Again, this one can be purchased from big brands like Monin & Torani, but can also be made in-house for pennies compared to pre-made! Maybe we should add this in to our guide for simple syrup. What do you think?
3. Caramel
Caramel is a classic when it comes to coffee. It was made famous amongst consumers across the nation thanks to drinks like the “Iced Caramel Macchiato” from Starbucks. It is also home to some classics like Caramel Brûlée Coffee & a Butterscotch Caramel Blended Ice Coffee!
Who doesn’t love caramel anyways! Its deep molasses flavor adds such a unique flavor profile in most drinks, you’ll definitely want this as an option for opening a coffee shop or cafe.
4. Hazelnut
Hazelnut has been proven very trendy in the recent decade thanks for many brands, coffeeshops and cafes adding it to their selection. Also big thanks for Nutella making it extremely mainstream!
You can see these flavors gaining traction in the coffee industry thanks for companies like International Delight & their pre-flavored creamers. Hazelnut will not be your biggest seller, but it will allow you to get more creative with your drink offering with combinations like Nutella Latte (Chocolate + Caramel) & Hazelnut Mochas!
5. Sugar Free Vanilla
With Vanilla being one of the top requested flavor offerings in coffeehouses in the USA, we highly recommend purchasing some Sugar Free Vanilla syrup to be accommodating to all patrons who may be following a strict diet like Keto or just trying to watch their sugar intake.
These 5 creamers will certainly give you coffee shop a create starting point for launch. Also, We always recommend having your baristas properly trained to constantly obtain consumer feedback to understand what your audience is asking for, at the end of the day giving the consumer what they want in a welcoming environment will create an everlasting impact for your brand. See more of our blog so we can help you out on building the best cafe or coffeeshop in your town!
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