Focusing on 'Coffee Remix' by Diversifying Meal Replacement Menus and Coffee Beans
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Coffee Remix. This is the evolution trend of the domestic coffee market identified by Innocean Worldwide. It refers to the expansion of the coffee consumption experience by combining coffee with values beyond coffee itself. Among keywords related to ‘cafe,’ newly emerging terms such as ‘breakfast (20,930 mentions)’ and the rapidly increasing buzz volume of ‘specialty coffee (61,093 mentions)’ have appeared within a year. This indicates that cafes are evolving further into complex spaces where people can deeply enjoy coffee itself and also have meals. The coffee specialty store industry is also leading the evolution of cafes. To follow the ‘coffee remix’ trend, they are expanding their domain by developing convenient meal replacements while enhancing specialization by adding diversity to the essence of coffee beans, showing various variations.
◆Enhancing expertise in coffee bean blends to satisfy coffee preferences= According to the Hyundai Research Institute on the 20th, the annual per capita coffee consumption of the domestic population aged 20 and over is about 353 cups, approximately three times the global average (about 132 cups). Ranked 6th in the world for coffee bean consumption, the domestic coffee market has passed through the eras of vending machines and mix coffee to the nationwide coffee specialty store era and is now considered to have entered a mature phase where high-quality coffee is carefully evaluated and consumed.
The industry is paying attention to the increasing number of consumers who have considerable knowledge about coffee and meticulously select coffee flavors and aromas that suit their preferences, carefully examining the origin of beans and roasting methods before choosing. In fact, according to Nielsen Korea’s domestic consumer survey, the most important factor considered when choosing coffee was ‘taste of coffee (67.6%),’ and 6 out of 10 respondents said they have a ‘preferred coffee brand store.’ Another survey showed that 44.3% of domestic consumers said, ‘My coffee taste is becoming more sophisticated.’
In line with these consumer trends, the industry is capturing consumer tastes by offering various coffee options such as launching new blends and implementing dual bean sourcing policies.
Baskin-Robbins’ coffee brand Cafe Breeze launched the blend ‘Sunny’ and operates it alongside the existing flagship coffee blend ‘Breeze.’
The ‘Sunny Blend’ is sold in only three menu items: iced Americano, iced cafe latte, and ice cream latte. Using Colombian and Ethiopian beans, it is a lively blend with attractive acidity and a clean texture. Compared to the existing ‘Breeze,’ which features a smooth yet rich and nutty flavor, the most notable characteristic is its stronger acidity. Additionally, it offers flavors and aromas of berries, citrus, and milk chocolate, making it especially delicious when enjoyed as an iced menu or with ice cream.
Baskin-Robbins also launched the ‘Ice Cream Latte,’ a dedicated drink for the ‘Sunny Blend.’ This menu combines a ‘Sunny Blend’ espresso shot with Baskin-Robbins’ vanilla ice cream, milk, and ice, allowing customers to enjoy the attractive harmony of the acidic ‘Sunny Blend’ and the sweet ice cream all at once.
Dunkin’ introduced the coffee blend ‘Long Beach Blue’ to meet the domestic consumers’ ‘Eoljuka (Eol-eo Juk-eo-do Ice)’ trend, meaning ‘iced coffee no matter how cold it is,’ even in the middle of winter. It is the second new blend following ‘Chelsea Vibe,’ which is based on New York Chelsea. Compared to the dark-roasted, rich, and heavy espresso blend, it features a medium roast with a refreshing and smooth taste. The beans are blended to maximize the unique acidity and body when served cold. Currently, Dunkin’ operates both the existing Dunkin’ espresso blend and Long Beach Blue, allowing customers to choose beans according to their preference.
The first brand in the industry to propose a ‘dual bean sourcing’ service is Twosome Place. They operate and actively promote ‘Black Ground’ and ‘Aroma Note.’ Black Ground is a dark roast blend with rich flavor, heavy body, and a sweet-bitter finish, while Aroma Note is a medium roast with bright acidity, sweet and sour tropical fruit flavors, and a smooth body.
◆Cafe-style expanding from sandwiches to pasta= As single-person households account for 30% of the total population, ‘eating alone’ has become a common trend. According to the ‘2019 Korea Single-Person Household Report’ by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, single-person households handle 56.8% of their weekly meals alone. As demand for ‘cafe meals’?simple meals enjoyed conveniently with coffee at cafes?surges, coffee specialty stores are expanding meal replacement menus.
Dunkin’ is one of the active brands in the coffee remix market, promoting the popularization and revitalization of meals enjoyed with coffee by continuously operating the ‘Morning Combo.’ Last year, Dunkin’s cumulative sales of coffee and beverages increased by about 120% compared to the previous year, and the cumulative sales of the representative meal replacement menu ‘Hot Sandwich’ grew by about 115% year-on-year.
Based on this trend, Dunkin’ officially changed its brand name from ‘Dunkin’ Donuts’ to ‘Dunkin’ this year. Following an expansion strategy to provide a wider range of menus and services beyond the ‘donut specialty brand,’ all newly opened stores operate under the ‘Dunkin’ name. Currently, stores applying the new ‘Snacking’ concept of ‘Dunkin’ include ‘City Hall Station,’ ‘Wangsimni Private Railway Station,’ ‘Airport Railroad Seoul Station,’ and ‘Gangnam-daero.’
The menu has been reorganized around the ‘Snacking’ concept, emphasizing simple yet hearty meals. Alongside donuts, a diverse lineup of meal replacement convenience foods such as coffee and hot sandwiches is strengthened.
Starbucks, responding to customer feedback wanting ‘to enjoy a light breakfast more diversely,’ changed its existing ‘Morning Box’ to a ‘Meal Box’ and is intensifying competition in the meal segment. Following five types of ‘Salad Meal Boxes’ composed of various dressings and menus, Starbucks is expanding the ‘Meal Box’ lineup with items such as ‘Guacamole Croissant Meal Box’ and ‘Meat Pasta Sandwich Meal Box,’ continuously strengthening meal replacement menus.
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