Some Like It Hot…More Consumers Like It Cold
A Beverage Landscape No Longer Defined by Season
Beverage consumption no longer follows traditional seasonal patterns. It used to be hot drinks during the cold months, and cold drinks dominated hot ones. Now, cold beverages, particularly iced coffee and cold brew, drive most of the category growth across foodservice. According to a Tastewise menu trend analysis, iced coffee makes up roughly 40% of all coffee offerings. Datassential reports the same shift inside operations: cold drinks now account for a majority of coffeehouse volume at many major chains. It’s clear that cold is winning the beverage battle.
Cold is Becoming the Default, Not the Exception
The increasing preference for cold drinks is driven by how they fit into daily life. A morning iced coffee, a late-day refresher, cold formats are showing up across dayparts and occasions, regardless of the weather. Customization, convenience, and reliable execution are among the reasons cold drinks are becoming the baseline for most beverage programs.
Hot Beverages Are All About the Routine
Hot beverages still play a foundational role in foodservice, but their growth pattern looks different. Coffee and tea are still tied to morning routines and colder months, with usage that follows habit more than it follows expansion into new occasions.
Reporting from the Food Institute and operator-level data indicate stable volumes in hot beverages, with growth largely tied to pricing rather than new dayparts or expanded reach.
Operators Are Managing One Integrated Beverage System
As cold beverages expand and hot beverages maintain their routine positioning, operators are managing a more layered beverage environment.
It is increasingly common for hot and cold drinks to appear within the same order, reflecting different consumer preferences within a single transaction. Beverage programs are no longer designed around one dominant format. Instead, they are designed to accommodate multiple beverage types within a single operational flow.
Packaging Now Supports Both Ends of the Spectrum
Hot and cold beverages operate in parallel within the same foodservice environment, shaped by different consumer behaviors but delivered through the same systems.
This is where packaging becomes a critical part of maintaining consistency across both ends of the temperature spectrum.
For hot beverages, insulation in coffee sleeves, like the Kraft Coffee Clutch®, helps preserve heat while improving handling comfort and reducing burn risk. For cold drinks, it helps manage condensation and maintain grip and stability during transport. Drink carriers keep multi-drink orders stable and secure from preparation to delivery.
For catering and larger-volume services, Beverage on the Move® provides a portable, insulated solution that helps maintain temperature while supporting efficient transport and serving at scale, whether the contents are hot or cold.
It’s clear cold beverages are winning across seasons, and hot drinks continue to be part of a routine. To keep pace with these consumer demands, operators need to support both within a single system, without compromise.
