Beverage

Loud. Buzzing. Raucous. Cacophonous. Deafening.

“I’ve run out of adjectives to describe a noisy restaurant,” says famed Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema. He estimates that 70% of the reviews he writes warn diners that they’ll have to raise their voices to carry on a conversation. In turn, one of the most common questions Sietsema fields from diners is where they can find a quiet place to eat.

There’s a movement underway to reduce restaurant noise levels, for the benefit of customers and employees alike. But for restaurant owners and operators, that’s easier said than done. Is your restaurant too loud? Try this simple five-step approach.

Most bar-trend analyses focus on what people are drinking: the spirits that are rising in popularity, the flavors that are in or out.

In 2024, we’re seeing bigger shifts in how people are drinking alcohol, if they’re even imbibing at all.

“Younger, legal-drinking aged Gen Z consumers increasingly enjoy a very different relationship with alcohol versus older age cohorts, exhibiting rising levels of abstention, moderation, experimenting with new categories, and turning away from traditional, high-volume categories,” reports IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

That’s a lot to unpack. What does this seismic change in Gen-Z drinking habits mean for your business?

You’ve probably heard that Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — drinks much less alcohol, compared to older generations. But that doesn’t mean they’re not thirsty.

Driven in large part by younger consumers, beverage consumption in the United States has recently seen robust growth. This “could be due to consumers increasingly seeking out specialty beverages away from home — the average number of beverages purchased from foodservice has increased since 2020 — as a more affordable way to treat themselves,” Katie Belflower, associate editor at Technomic, told The Food Institute. 

They’re drinking punch. Mocktails. Slushies. Iced coffee drinks. Bubble tea. Arnold Palmers. Refreshers. Energy drinks. Gen Z’s taste in drinks is adventurous, wide-ranging, and insatiable. Let’s take a look at some of the beverage trends they’re defining.

Thin enough to be slurpable? Or thick enough to be spoonable?

Everyone has their own idea of the perfect shake, whether it’s a classic diner drink with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry or a super-thick concrete shake with five different mix-ins. Both are popular additions to any dessert menu. All you need is the right milkshake machine to mix them.

Craft cocktails are complicated. You need a full shelf of liquors, mixers, garnishes and glassware, plus a well-trained and knowledgeable bartender.

Or, you could just get the Bartesian Professional Cocktail Machine.  

This sleek, intuitive cocktail maker combines all-natural flavoring, spirits and water to make premium cocktails in 30 seconds. Just select the desired strength, insert a cocktail capsule, and set the indicated glass in place. Bartesian Professional crafts a perfect drink, every time. 

Cold. Creamy. Smooth. Dreamy. A classic milkshake is a pleasure that never grows old, whether it’s a simple milk-and-ice-cream blend or an elaborate tower with whipped cream, brownie bits and a cherry on top.

The secret to the perfect shake: a Hamilton Beach Commercial milkshake mixer. Every drink mixer we make is built for performance and meant to last. But which one is the right choice for you?

Growing coffee shop chains are coming up with all kinds of new ways to entice customers and build loyalty. Whether they offer a welcoming place for customers to sip a crafted coffee drink or a high-speed drive-thru for an afternoon treat, several up-and-coming coffee chains in the U.S. have created uniquely compelling reasons for customers to come in the door.

What’s the one thing everyone wishes they had more of? Time.

What’s one business that promises to give you more time? Convenience stores.

As a result, we’re seeing incredible growth in the c-store industry. The global market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%, reaching $3.12 trillion by 2028, according to Grand View Research. To ensure your company captures a healthy piece of this pie, we have three words to guide your strategy.

In the last few years, the restaurant business has evolved — and so has our signature high-performance blender. The Summit® Edge High-Performance Blender, the newest addition to the Hamilton Beach Commercial beverage blender line, is more powerful, more versatile, and even easier to operate.

We invested four years in designing and engineering the new Summit Edge, then put it through rigorous testing in the field and in our lab. The result is a commercial blender you can count on to make drinks consistently creamy and customers consistently delighted.

If you own a Hamilton Beach Commercial beverage blender, you already know it easily creates perfectly creamy smoothies. But have you ever thought about all the other blended drinks you could be making?

Don’t let your high-performance blender sit idly on the bar or counter. Put its power to work! We have 7 ideas for some non-smoothie blended drinks to add to your menu.