Beverage

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.

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.

In case you missed them, here are the Top 5 most-read posts from our four blogs for the month that just ended, February 2022.
 

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

In case you missed them, here are the Top 5 most-read posts from our four blogs for the month that just ended, January 2022.
 

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

In case you missed them, here are the Top 5 most-read posts from our four blogs for the month that just ended, December 2021.
 

Read on. If you see content you like, be sure to join the HBC Community for regular updates, whether it's Beverage, Food, Hospitality or Recipes.

Restaurant operators in the United States have one thing on their minds: Labor. Low unemployment rates, immigration restrictions, changes to overtime pay and rising minimum wages have made it hard to hire great staff. 

Retaining good employees is the biggest challenge for 80% of operators, according to Technomic’s May 2019 Foodservice State of the Industry report. Recruitment’s a close second, with 76% naming it as a problem.

One solution to this persistent challenge is investing in equipment upgrades — not to replace the staff you don’t have, but to assist the staff you do have.

Bartending competitions are incredibly fun to watch, as the most creative mixologists working today execute drinks with poise and flair. But they’re not just entertainment; for bar operators, they’re educational. That’s because the competitors are on the  forefront of global cocktail trends.

We examined the winners of a few competitions to see what we could learn about up-and-coming drinks. And if you have a winning cocktail of your own, why not compete next year? There are dozens of notable competitions all over the world – we’ll tell you about a few.

When shopping for commercial blenders, most restaurant operators zoom in on three numbers: horsepower, capacity, and price. Those numbers are important… but they don’t entirely address the needs of your business. To ensure you’re buying the right model, look a little closer. The best commercial blenders on the market have these six features in common.

You know the old saying, “only the best will do”? For budget-conscious restaurant owners, that’s not always true. If you haven’t blended a dozen margaritas back to back since the weekend of the Parrothead convention, then you may not need to invest in the best commercial blender on the market.

Here at Hamilton Beach Commercial, our high-performance blenders are the stars of our product line. These machines are built for maximum efficiency, power and consistency. They can create a flawless drink profile in seconds, and are built to last for many years in a high-volume commercial kitchen.

But if frozen drinks and smoothies aren’t a core menu item, then you may be able to get away with a more affordable, less powerful bar blender. They’re workhorses too! Here are five things to consider when you’re making a blender buying decision.