Why coffee shops should invest in a commercial cold drink dispenser

Investing in a commercial cold drink dispenser can help coffee shops and cafés across multiple fronts, including faster and smoother service speed and workflows, greater menu diversification and innovation, and safer, more hygienic working conditions. 

Today’s coffee consumers demand greater variety from the coffee shops they frequent, creating complex service challenges for operators trying to keep a broad audience satisfied. 

Increasingly diverse and customised orders and bigger menus can cause service bottlenecks as staff try to keep up with order tickets while maintaining a clean and hygienic workplace. 

Commercial cold drink dispensers ease operational challenges, support staff, and open up myriad new beverage opportunities for forward-thinking businesses. 

To learn more, we spoke with Ana Goncalves, head of retail at Origin Coffee, and Mathew Russell, chief operations officer at Rosslyn Coffee.

Smoother is faster and more efficient

In a recent survey, 75% of coffee shop owners and employees said that operational costs were the most important factor in running a successful coffee business. 

Coffee shops run on tight margins, balancing expensive property and rental rates, rising labour costs and volatile coffee prices with fluctuating demand in an incredibly competitive industry. 

As a result, there is widespread evidence of coffee businesses attempting to increase profitability through various methods, including e-commerce, subscription models, delivery services, and branded merchandise.

Many naturally look for ways to decrease their operating costs – location assessment and inventory management are two such strategies. 

According to a 2024 report by Akankasha Kiran, lead corporate strategist at UST, store optimization, improving operational efficiencies, and headcount reduction are among the most effective ways to decrease operational costs. 

Increasing profit margins in the coffee retail business requires a dual strategy: enhancing revenue streams and minimizing operational costs.

Cue commercial cold drink dispensers: these machines streamline beverage preparation and save coffee shops precious time during busy service periods, helping baristas serve more customers.

“Since integrating Flo-Smart into Origin Cafes, we’ve seen remarkable improvements in both efficiency and organisation,” says Ana. 

The Flo-Smart commercial cold drink dispenser, for example, delivers up to four different types of non-carbonated, pulp-free liquids directly to a countertop via the only fully automated refrigerated line system on the market. 

The countertop set-up comes in either a 2-tap or 4-tap set-up, each with its own dedicated line running to large storage bladders suited to refrigeration under the counter. 

Instead of constantly retrieving and replacing the different beverages required in the increasingly common, complex orders of modern coffee consumers, a barista simply places a jug underneath the required tap for accurate, hands-free dosing. 

The business owner or manager can pre-set correct measurements according to beverage type before service begins via Flo-Smart’s touchscreen interface to greatly enhance consistency and substantially reduce waste. 

“Beyond these operational benefits, the most profound impact has been on our environmental practices,” Ana says. 

Flo-Smart has played a crucial role in deepening our commitment to sustainability, particularly in our efforts to minimise waste”

Instead of a cluttered and disorganised benchtop, Flo-Smart is an elegant and durable piece of equipment that is simultaneously designed to streamline your workflow and increase your sustainability credentials by cutting waste.

Serve more customers more easily

Installing a commercial cold drink dispenser improves a coffee shop’s staff’s efficiency by streamlining their behind-the-counter workflow. 

This comes chiefly through freeing up the barista. With a convenient automatic beverage dispenser, employees no longer need to retrieve or sort through multiple jugs, cartons, and containers to prepare the required drink. 

Ten-plus years ago, this may not have been such an issue as coffee beverages were not as diverse in their range or customisation. Today, however, even the smallest independent cafés are expected to offer both hot and cold coffee drinks, as well as a raft of plant-based dairy alternatives like oat milk or almond milk. 

For example, a July 2024 study in the journal Behavioural Sciences found that European consumer interest in plant-based dairy alternatives is growing – 51% of the 200 subjects surveyed indicated that they opted for plant-based or non-dairy milk in their coffee beverages. 

The Flo-Smart commercial cold drink dispenser allows a coffee shop to conveniently offer up to four different milk types to a barista, each served via its own tap to reduce and mitigate cross-contamination and offer greater consumer allergen and dietary protection. 

“The quality of the Flo-Smart unit is evident, showing that your team has real experience in a busy coffee environment,” says Mathew.

High-volume milk types like cow’s milk, oat milk, almond milk and soy milk can be immediately available for serving, helping a coffee business build greater menu diversification and appeal to more customers without sacrificing workplace efficiency and introducing additional storage complexities. Plus, the countertop remains clean and hygienic. 

Stock controlling becomes more challenging as businesses carry a more varied range of ingredients. As such, waste can increase – think half-empty cartons left on benches or low-demand products expiring. 

The Flo-Smart system reduces waste by accurately dispensing the correct amount of each liquid required for each beverage type, and the large bladders that supply the countertop dispenser help businesses reduce plastic waste and improve their sustainability credentials. 

“The smart design and hands-free operation not only increased our service speed but also significantly reduced waste, saving us a noticeable amount in costs,” he adds. 

Some commercial cold drink dispensers, Flo-Smart included, go a step further by dispensing other beverage types beyond dairy or plant-based dairy alternatives, such as juices or wine. 

Depending on your sales mix, you can set up your 2-tap or 4-tap Flo-Smart system to dispense different beverage types depending on demand or day part. The system records and notifies the business of every cleaning cycle completed, ensuring cross-contamination does not occur as you optimise your dispensing set-up. 

Invest in a Flo-Smart commercial cold drink dispenser

Whether a multi-site hospitality chain or a high-street independent coffee shop, coffee businesses need to be ready to offer a variety of beverage types throughout the day. 

Operational costs are a challenge up and down the industry, and broadening your menu offering and improving your workplace efficiency are top methods for increasing your margins and giving you a competitive advantage. 

Freed-up baristas have more time to interact with customers and up-sell other products or services. Cleaner countertops and ordered storage are needed to improve hygiene, reduce health and safety risks, and cut down on waste. 

The Flo-Smart commercial cold drink dispenser is the product of a four-year design process led by two leading Australian engineering companies to solve commonly encountered problems within the coffee industry. 

By installing your Flo-Smart machine, customised to match your brand aesthetic, you will see immediate results: more engaged customers, smoother workflows, reduced plastic and beverage waste, and the potential to expand your menu however you see fit. 

To start your Flo-Smart journey, visit our website or get in touch with us directly. 

Commercial cold drink dispenser