In this article, you’ll learn:
- What Gen Z’s coffee preferences reveal about broader market trends
- Which drink formats attract younger consumers and why cold brew leads
- How cafés can adapt menus, spaces, and equipment to meet Gen Z expectations
Café culture is changing faster than ever, and it’s up to you to keep up with these ongoing shifts. As Gen Z consumers have more purchasing power and a wider array of businesses to shop from, it’s harder than ever to build a loyal customer base.
Therefore, you need to understand Gen Z coffee trends and adjust accordingly. By offering trending drinks like cold brew in appealing, convenient formats, you can build up a reputation for quality.
To learn more about how modern café culture is changing, and what you can do to keep up, I spoke to Trung Le. He is the co-owner of Cokernut Cafe, a coffee shop based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Read on for his insight.
What are the main Gen Z coffee trends?
Younger coffee consumers, particularly those in Gen Z, are changing the face of coffee shops. More than any generation before them, Gen Z coffee trends lean towards cold drinks, healthier options, and coffee over alcohol.
Cold drinks, such as cold brew and iced coffee, are far and away the biggest development in recent café culture. In the USA alone, consumers spent over $17 billion on cold coffee formats in 2023. Outside of espresso-based drinks like iced lattes, cold brew is the most popular choice, favoured by 21% of American cold coffee consumers.
It’s something that Trung has observed at Cokernut Cafe. “They’re less fond of traditional coffee types,” he tells me. “Cold brew and Japanese-style cold drip combined with fresh fruit juice are becoming popular.”
This is no surprise, because Gen Z is more concerned with health and wellness benefits than other generations. More than 60% of consumers prefer non-alcoholic drinks when socialising with friends, which is more than any other generation.
While part of this means they’re drinking less alcohol than other demographics, it also means they’re making healthier coffee choices. The rise of alternative, plant-based milks is one example, but it goes far beyond that. In fact, one-third of coffee drinkers want coffee with tangible health benefits. This includes adding functional ingredients like adaptogens or probiotics, as well as formats like cold brew that are naturally sweet and less acidic.
Evidently, Gen Z coffee trends are changing the face of coffee consumption – so it’s up to coffee shops to adjust to these evolving tastes.
Gen Z coffee trends for in cafés
Alongside the new flavour profiles and formats they prefer, Gen Z and younger consumers also have different expectations for coffee shops.
“Gen Z prefers quiet spaces for studying, working, and outdoor areas for taking personal photos,” Trung says. It’s proof of coffee becoming more experiential than ever before. It’s no longer enough for your coffee to taste good – to encourage repeat business, you need the whole experience to be memorable.
These shifts aren’t only cultural – they’re operational too. As preferences move toward fast, visual, and customisable cold drinks, cafés need equipment that matches that energy. One way to achieve this is by creating a visually appealing countertop in your coffee shop. Alongside staples like an espresso machine and steamer, you can add dedicated cold brew machines like the Baby Hardtank to expand your operations.
Systems like the Baby Hardtank prepare cold brew in under an hour using a transparent extraction chamber – turning brewing into a live, visual experience while maintaining full consistency.
Since traditional cold brew takes up to 24 hours to prepare, this equipment gives you the agility to introduce new infusions and flavour profiles. “The younger generation prefers lighter coffee with fruity aromas,” Trung tells me. “Cold brew made from good-quality, fermented coffee beans is quite suitable.”
Crucially, these demographics have more spending power than other generations. Globally, Gen Z has around $360 billion in disposable income – and as already demonstrated, they have very specific coffee tastes. Coffee shops that can meet the demand for cold brew can therefore tap into this significant revenue opportunity.
How can cafés adapt to Gen Z coffee trends and level up their cold brew service?
These Gen Z coffee trends present cafés and other hospitality businesses with exciting new ways to engage customers. This consists of both menu innovation, offering new and trending drinks, and also investing in specialised cold brew equipment for preparation and service.
For Trung, this starts with adjusting your drinks menu. “Cafés should focus on basic, easy-to-drink, sweet, and smooth cold brew options.” You can take several approaches here, either going with high-quality specialty cold brew or focusing on commodity coffee with fruit infusions.
He recommends that you determine your customer base’s preference before committing to new menu innovations. “Premium coffee may not fully showcase its flavour notes after steeping,” he says. “It can be risky to introduce customers to those flavour notes if they can’t perceive them – it’s a double-edged sword.”
This is why alternatives, such as fruit-infused cold brew, can prove just as valuable. It introduces customers to the unique sweetness and low acidity of cold brew, but also allows for a range of flavour experimentation.
Such unique menu innovations are made easier with specialised cold brew equipment. Manual production methods are time-consuming, inconsistent, and often prone to microbial activity due to their low steeping temperature.
To address this, systems like the Baby Hardtank overcome these concerns by consistently agitating the coffee grounds and other ingredients in the filter basket. It speeds up production from 12 to 24 hours to just an hour for a four-litre batch of cold brew. You can quickly meet ongoing consumer demands for cold brew with more consistency than manual methods offer.
For cafés and specialty coffee shops to keep up with Gen Z coffee trends, you need equipment that is as agile as you are. Hardtank systems can prepare not only cold brew, but also other drinks, including iced tea, cascara, and mocktails. It means you can offer trending products as they emerge and innovate with limited-time seasonal drinks to establish your reputation as an artisan café.
Cold brew coffee has never been more popular – and its recent boom could open the floodgates for even more drinks to enter the market. By adjusting your menu accordingly and investing in systems that future-proof you against these changes, you’re best placed for success.
Gen Z coffee trends: Key takeaways
- Gen Z coffee trends include cold, functional, and health-focused drinks over traditional coffee.
- Cold brew’s low acidity and sweetness make it ideal for younger consumers.
- Café spaces that combine visual appeal with high-quality, on-trend beverages drive loyalty.
- Investing in agile cold brew equipment future-proofs your menu and operations.
Ready to future-proof your café for Gen Z coffee trends? Explore how Hardtank’s cold brew systems help you meet demand for fast, visual, and functional coffee. Book a free consultation or browse our equipment range.
Gen Z coffee trends FAQ
Why does Gen Z prefer cold brew over traditional coffee?
Gen Z coffee trends focus on health-conscious drinks. Cold brew’s smoothness and lower acidity align with these concerns.
Does cold brew help attract younger customers?
Yes, cold brew is one of the most social-media-friendly coffee formats. Its visual appeal, smooth texture, and versatility make it especially popular with Gen Z audiences.
What does Gen Z expect from cafés and coffee shops?
They want an experience at your café as much as they want coffee. This means crafting spaces that are visually appealing and pleasant to work or study in.
How can cafés adapt to Gen Z coffee trends?
You can expand your cold coffee menu by offering fruit-infused cold brew and innovative flavour options. Also, incorporating cold brew equipment helps you meet flavour and format trends with systems that can adapt to a range of drinks.
Want to learn more about dedicated cold brew equipment?
- Explore Hardtank technology: Browse our products here.
- Book a free consultation with an equipment specialist: Schedule a free appointment.
- Calculate your cold brew ROI instantly: Free equipment ROI calculator.
