Back to Previous

Automation leads coffee trends: latest report

Sarah Stowe

What will the coffee and cafe industry need to do to ensure ongoing success? Automation leads coffee trends as Aussies trickle back to work and restrictions ease on cafes and restaurants around the country.

A recent report from Seven Miles Coffee Roasters pinpoints the key issues that will likely shape the industry over the next few years.

The Café 2025 trends forecast suggests advancing technology and innovation will be the new essentials for  a profitable coffee sector.

Consumers want quick service, and they want easy transactions.

So what does this look like?

While cashless payment systems and app-based ordering have become a mainstream process, automation will become the main ingredient for cafés.

Coffee trends

  • Fast, machine-made coffee
  • Hygienic environments
  • Cashless cafes
  • Sustainability
  • DIY at-home baristas

Cafes need automation

Dr Adam Carr, head of coffee science and education centre (CSEC) at Seven Miles, says Our 2025 Café Report is something we have been working on long before COVID-19, yet so much of our findings lend themself to the new world we now live in.”

Carr said Australians’ passion for coffee has been a mainstay throughout the pandemic.

Seven Mile worked on modelling what the cafe industry would look like post-Covid-19 and it is confident of a return to good trading times.

“Based on our modelling, we predict the café industry to bounce back stronger than ever. While some hospitality venues may have closed, many have adapted during the pandemic, and those who were able to weather the storm will thrive once restrictions are lifted,” said Carr.

“Some things we expect to change post-pandemic are the strength and value of take-away coffee,” he added.

Cafes’ early adoption of new systems and processes will ignite their growth trajectory he suggests.

Many businesses have taken this path already and are now operating with remote kiosks, app-based ordering and cashless payment systems.

Customers will be looking for safe and hygienic ways to get their coffee hits and so seamless, hands-off processes are likely to bring in more business.

Adopting cashless payment systems is more efficient and helps maintain hygiene standards, 

“While most customers prefer to sit down and drink their coffee, or bring their own cup, they are now more aware of the health impacts an action may cause, and that hygiene and environmental footprint need to walk together, side-by-side. We see automation as being the solution to this problem.”