A recent study by the National Coffee Association (NCA) confirms that speciality coffee drinkers will be crucial to getting the sector back on its feet.
Four in ten American adults who drink specialty coffee each day are less satisfied than traditional coffee drinkers with coffee at home during the pandemic and more likely to miss visiting their regular coffee shops, according to the National Coffee Association (NCA)’s first-ever report on specialty coffee trends released as part of the 2021 National Coffee Data Trends research series.
Drawing on nationwide polling and released in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association, the report reveals that 47% of 25-39 year olds drank specialty coffee yesterday, more than any other age group. Coffee consumption is highest for Americans who drink both specialty and traditional coffee – about 4.6 cups per day, compared to just under 3 cups for those who drink exclusively specialty or exclusively traditional coffee.
Specialty coffee drinkers will be key to getting beloved coffee businesses back up and running post-pandemic, and no other report has ever explored their profiles and preferences in such depth. – Bill Murray, NCA President and CEO
With COVID-19 restrictions loosening, this data is more important than ever. Many specialty coffee drinkers experimented with coffee at home, but this new report confirms they are very eager to get back to their favorite specialty drinks and trusted baristas.
The data shows that 73% of specialty coffee drinkers are more likely to miss their regular coffee shops, which shows how important local coffee businesses are to our daily lives in many places. This pioneering partnership with the NCA enables us to bring analysis on consumer data to specialty coffee businesses to help them get through this challenging time and come back stronger than ever. – SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos
Methodology and Key findings
Specialty coffee drinkers are evenly split between men and women. A majority (60%) do not have children and live in cities or suburbs.
43% of specialty coffee drinkers earn less than $50,000 per year.
Compared to traditional coffee drinkers, specialty coffee drinkers are about three times as likely to choose flavored coffee, 50% more likely to choose dark roasts, and 57% more likely to sweeten their coffee.
Specialty coffee drinkers are nearly three times more likely than traditional coffee drinkers to pay attention to coffee news and 86% more likely to say coffee is good for their health.
Specialty coffee is defined as including any espresso-based beverage (lattes, cappuccinos etc.); non-espresso- based beverages like frozen blend, cold brew, nitro; and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans/grounds.
Register to immediately download the full report. It’s a 65 page PDF that is chock full of research and interesting facts.
