It’s local. It’s seasonal. It’s brewed to bring out natural flavors. Coffee has gone craft, and not just in Seattle and Portland, but across the nation, as local roasters import beans from small farms in South America, Africa, and elsewhere around the globe—and then roast them at home for super-​fresh, nuanced brews.

"Because these small, global farms can only produce a finite quantity at certain times of the year, the coffee roasters have begun, like chefs working with small local farms, to roast with the seasons. These smaller-​batch roasters are also considered artisans, using different roasting and tasting techniques to bring out the various flavors in the beans they source," Amelia Levin writes in FSR Magazine.

"Chefs are beginning to realize this, as well, and—just as they support sustainable farm food and craft beer—they want to support their local roasters, too. Ultimately, chefs and operators want to offer the best coffee to pair with their food, and in other cases, they’re using this coffee in their dishes and desserts."

Restaurants and coffee shops should jump on this trend like white on cream! Hand-​crafted coffee can turn the Occasional Coffee Shop Patron into a regular! AudienceSCAN found 15.3% of occasional patrons plan to attend Restaurant Week, so use that time to test new coffee flavors!

"Chacko of Sparrow Coffee has devoted his business almost exclusively to working with high-​end chefs in the Windy City, helping to bump up their beverage programs and pair coffee with food, just like a sommelier might pair wine with the menu."

According to AudienceSCAN research, 18% of Occasional Coffee Shop Patrons have eaten Thanksgiving lunch or dinner at a restaurant, so bring them back this year with coffee-​infused items and/​or better coffee service options.

"Training staff members on proper coffee preparation using boutique blends helps them appreciate the process and the quality of the coffee, something they can then communicate to diners. Servers become baristas, essentially.
Beyond the beverage service, the restaurants have also embraced coffee-​infused dishes."

52.3% of Occasional Coffee Shop Patrons make a point of shopping where salespeople are helpful and friendly, AudienceSCAN reports. In this case, servers acting as educated baristas are your friendly sellers of premium coffee. Coffee lovers are willing to pay more for a better coffee experience. 53.2% of Occasional Coffee Shop Patrons are willing to pay more for higher quality on most products, according to AudienceSCAN data.

"At the recently opened Llama Inn in Brooklyn, New York, chef/​owner Erik Ramirez worked with New York City–based Joe Roasting to develop a Peruvian coffee blend that could pair with his many Peruvian-​inspired dishes. The coffee company brings in the green—as in unroasted—beans from a sustainable supplier in Piura, a Northern region of Peru, and roasts them locally."

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall