Trend cluster
Category

Specialty
Cafe

Cafes market themselves as having one prominent specialty.

Futuristic Urban Cereal BarsArtisan Churro CafesUrban Cereal CafesNut Spread CafesWhimsical Cereal Cafes

Trend

What is the Specialty Cafe trend?

Specialty Cafe: Where once cafes known for specializing in certain foods gained awareness through word of mouth, they are now pronouncing their specialties and designing entire business models around them. This shift is a result of changing consumer behavior, where brand awareness is more likely to spread via social media platforms–resulting in a need for businesses to create a unique point of distinction to enhance engagement.

Trend themes

Themes within the Specialty Cafe trend

Three behaviours holding the trend together
01

Specialized cafe menus

Cafes are designing whole business models around their unique point of distinction to enhance engagement, and they are creating pronounced specialties that serve to gain wider recognition.

02

Cereal cafes

Restaurants dedicated to cereal are redefining the traditional breakfast cereal concept into a customizable gourmet meal with added candies, toppings and even ingredients like Pop-Tarts for a unique consumer experience.

03

Artisan dessert cafes

Cafes specializing in artisanal desserts are offering unique sweets, often with ethnic flare, served alongside high quality coffee in an atmosphere designed to cater to the millennial consumer.

Industry implications

What the Specialty Cafe trend means for industry

Where the trend changes the playbook
For

Hospitality industry

Specialized cafe menus offer hospitality industry professionals an opportunity to create unique businesses around their personal brand, whether it is a specific food or atmosphere.

For

Food industry

Cereal and artisan dessert cafes require food industry professionals to think creatively about the range and combination of ingredients they can offer in order to differentiate from competitors.

For

Retail industry

Cafes can borrow the social media savvy convenience store concept to better market their brand and attract consumers who will associate their physical space with their online profiles.

Workshop question

How can your brand better outline the ways in which it is distinct?

Trend signals

Trend signals for Specialty Cafe

Trend score 5.0 out of 10, from popularity 72%, activity 69%, freshness 8%.

Popularity72%
Activity69%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
  • Gen Alpha
  • Gen Z
  • Millennial
  • Gen X
  • Boomer
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific