Growing confidence within the industry? This is an industry that has been growing every year. Not only are new biotech companies creating new discoveries, but small roasters and retailers are investing in roasting pods for their coffee service and ultimately, the bottom line.
The first step to growing confidence within the industry is to understand why the larger companies are investing in pod making machines. First of all, it allows them to create more specialty drinks and less just coffee. In addition, the size of the brewing system is almost perfect for the smaller operations. As a result, they can focus on creating the best tasting products, while the big boys can focus on innovation and finding new ways to capture market share.
As we have seen, some of the larger coffee companies are investing in pods. Why? First of all, it allows them to capture a larger piece of the market. If you brew one coffee, rather than buying a box of grounds, you have a smaller space to work with.
As a result, many of these large companies are looking at subsea routes as an option. Essentially, they buy a cargo of coffee beans from small, independent coffee roasters and ship them out on a regular basis to their distributor warehouses. This allows them to keep expenses low and maintain a healthy profit margin. As a result, growing confidence within the industry is at an all-time high.
Smaller operators have always had a tough time competing against the larger companies. While it may seem that way in the roasting bean market, it’s not necessarily true. If you take a look at the packaging on most specialty coffees, you will see that they are being roasted in a smaller sized pod. In some cases, these pods are even smaller than normal tea bags! It’s important for coffee service professionals to understand this and utilize this technology when possible.
In addition to pod brewing machines, small and independent roasters can roast their own coffee. Even if they have never used an espresso machine before, many of them have the equipment down. The key is simply knowing how to get it done and the benefits that come from roasting your own coffee. For example, rather than dealing with a pricey machine every single time, you can save money by making your own coffee, which is something that everyone can appreciate.
What about larger companies? While they do roast their own coffee, they have a bit more competition from smaller specialty shops who roast their own products and sell them as well. That’s why it’s important to remember that when a company such as Starbucks or Kraft Foods decides to launch a product, it’s not done by small independent stores, but instead they are launching a national phenomenon! Therefore, it’s important for these types of businesses to use techniques such as social media marketing, email marketing, and traditional marketing to launch their products. If they don’t do these things, they may miss out on gaining a highly-engaged customer base.
With so many advantages, I’m surprised there are still many people who are not using one of these machines. One reason why so many people don’t is because they think it takes too much effort. This couldn’t be further from the truth. These devices are easy to operate and require very little effort on the part of the person who owns it. I encourage you to check out what Dima Millan has to say about the roasters/pod makers mentioned above at his blog, which can be found here. Good luck!