Beverage Beat

Having a moment

The informal phrase “having a moment” is often tossed around the zeitgeist when a person, trend or product becomes popular or in fashion. Although novelty foodservice beverages are not new to the scene, these items are gaining more attention.

For instance, drive-thru beverage concept 7 Brew, Fayetteville, Ark., announced back in December that it had surpassed its 300-stand milestone. Now the company is reporting it has more than 400 stands cultivating kindness and joy in every drink through its service, speed, quality, energy and atmosphere, the company notes.

Quick service beverage company Dutch Bros Inc., Grants Pass, Ore., also highlighted its strong performance at its Investor Day in March this year.

“We are pleased to deliver quarter-to-date Q1 same shop sales above our expectations, supported by positive traffic and strong business momentum. This positive trend is a testament to the strength of our brand and the dedication of our team,” said Christine Barone, CEO and president of Dutch Bros, in a statement at the time. “Last month, we proudly opened our 1,000th shop, and with a strong roadmap ahead, we are focused on our bold goal of reaching 2,029 shops in 2029.”

The industry even saw McDonald’s Corp. enter the fold when it debuted CosMc’s, standalone beverage concept. Although the company announced earlier this year it was closing all standalone pilot CosMc’s locations on a rolling basis and discontinuing the CosMc’s app, the learnings from this testing is making its way to 500 select McDonald’s U.S. restaurants across Wisconsin, Colorado and the surrounding areas to test a bold new lineup of drinks, it shared in a corporate article titled “Something Bold (and Delicious) is Brewing at McDonald’s: A First Sip into the Future of Beverages.”

Additions at these locations will include Creamy Vanilla Cold Brew, Strawberry Watermelon Refresher, Sprite Lunar Splash, Toasted Vanilla Frappé and Popping Tropic Refresher.

“We’re seeing real momentum in beverages, with more people – especially our Gen Z fans – turning to cold, flavorful drinks as a go-to treat,” said Alyssa Buetikofer, chief customer experience and marketing officer at McDonald’s USA, in the article. “It’s a great opportunity for us to meet our U.S. customers’ evolving tastes and show up in new moments, like afternoon refreshment or snack breaks.”

Charlie Newberger, beverage category lead at McDonald’s USA, added in the same article: “We’re not just adding drinks to the menu – we’re advancing our global beverage platform that fits naturally with how people already enjoy McDonald’s. We’ve got the structure, the tools, and the team to move fast and scale what works. This first test in the U.S. market is a big step in our global direction.”

This test will allow the company to test and understand what beverages work in the United States in terms of operations and consumer excitement to help it learn and scale smartly and quickly, it notes.

These locations embarked on the test Sept. 2, it adds.

Whether it’s dedicated beverage concepts or full-service foodservice operations, specialty beverages truly are having their moment.