Key takeaways
- A commercial coffee dispenser can serve iced coffee and other drinks in as little as six seconds, cutting queues and improving customer satisfaction.
- Pre-set portion control ensures accurate and consistent serving sizes and reduces the risk of spillage.
- Flo-Smart systems can dispense coffee, matcha, milk, and more to optimise your drinks menu.
Cold coffee is more popular with consumers than ever before – particularly among young people. It is now the third most popular coffee format among 18- to 34-year-olds, surpassing hot coffee options like flat white and espresso. As demand for iced coffee and other cold drinks increases in the future, you need equipment that boosts your efficiency and meets customer needs.
For this reason, a commercial coffee dispenser can be an essential investment for coffee shops, bars, and other hospitality businesses. Using automatic dosage and multi-tap systems, you can not only adhere to market trends but also enhance your drinks menu to pioneer new items.
To learn more about the uses and benefits of a commercial coffee dispenser, I spoke to Matt Lewis. He is the co-founder of Caffè Milano, a specialty coffee shop in Jávea, Spain. Read on for his insight.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Sign up
How is a commercial coffee dispenser beneficial to coffee shops?
Commercial coffee dispensers, such as the Flo-Smart system, are beneficial to coffee shops due to their speed of operation and service. As they automatically dispense a pre-programmed quantity of liquid based on your settings, they remove a number of operational bottlenecks.
“For high-volume operations, dispensers can provide speed, portion control, and consistency, reducing waste and improving workflow,” Matt tells me. The Flo-Smart, for example, dispenses a serving of iced coffee in six seconds.
Compared to the manual process of preparing and pouring iced coffee, it is much faster. “They allow team members to serve customers quickly, especially with iced or milk-based drinks, which helps during peak hours,” he says.
“The preparation process is often what our customers enjoy watching,” Matt says, explaining why the visual aspect of drink preparation is still important. “It creates a buzz, connects us, and it reinforces the sense of care and craftsmanship.”
Therefore, you can balance automatic equipment with the manual methods for other drinks to preserve tradition. “Our guests enjoy seeing products crafted fresh in front of them; it adds theatre, reinforces quality, and enhances the perceived value of the drink and price point.”
These time savings are particularly important for coffee shops with high footfall. Speed is one of the most important qualities you can have, as it reduces wait times and improves customer satisfaction. After all, if customers see long queues or slow service while they wait for their iced coffee, they may go elsewhere.
The benefits of a commercial coffee dispenser extend beyond service speed, however. They also optimise many of the time-consuming tasks that can impact a coffee shop’s workflows.
For example, Flo-Smart systems automatically determine jug sizes with contact-free sensor components and then pour the corresponding amount of liquid. Using fully automatic dispensing options, your staff can then pour drinks with one touch.
“By automating repetitive tasks like measuring or dispensing, bottlenecks at the counter can be reduced,” Matt says. “Not only does this minimise wait times during busy periods, but staff are freed to focus on customer interaction and quality details.”
In that sense, a commercial coffee dispenser allows you to enhance not only your own workflows, but the customer experience as well. While the machine automatically dispenses up to four different liquids at once with multi-tap systems, it captures attention and can become a talking point itself.
A commercial coffee dispenser also puts you at the forefront of consumer trends and menu innovation. Iced coffee is currently more popular than ever, with 45% of consumers under 30 regularly buying iced beverages. With equipment that empowers you to serve it quickly and efficiently, you can adjust to these trends and meet consumer demand as it grows.
The versatility of your commercial coffee dispenser means you can quickly adjust your menu or launch new products without investing in new equipment. Systems like Flo-Smart can also dispense matcha, milk, and espresso concentrate, meaning you can innovate your drinks programme with ease.
What to look for in a commercial coffee dispenser
While the benefits of a commercial coffee dispenser are significant, determining the best system for your operations is just as important.
Firstly, you need to consider your operational space. Flo-Smart comes in a countertop format to incorporate into your bench without taking up excessive room. Then, it connects to custom containers or standard industry bladders in your storage area. This means you don’t need bulky bladders below your counter or fridges filled with espresso concentrate or milk.
“Workflow integration is essential,” Matt explains. “The system needs to be compact and adaptable to fit your bar layout and not take up valuable space, including under the bar.”
Once you’ve determined the space you have for a commercial coffee dispenser in your workflows, Matt then recommends looking for a number of features.
“Speed and accuracy are crucial to keep service moving and ensure consistency,” he tells me. “You also need equipment that is reliable and durable – systems that won’t fail in the middle of busy service.”
The same goes for hygienic equipment. Not only is it an essential business practice, but equipment that is difficult to properly clean may jeopardise drink quality and impact your reputation. “You need machines with simple cleaning processes and minimal touch points,” Matt adds.
To meet these essential hygiene requirements, Flo-Smart systems have semi-automated cleaning cycles. The dispensing nozzles are made from stainless steel for food safety compliance as well as quick, effective external wiping down. The result is a system that’s easy to sanitise and minimises the risk of human error during cleaning.
In conclusion, a commercial coffee dispenser is more essential than ever for coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and hospitality businesses. While the main benefits are speed and efficiency to optimise your workflows, its potential for menu expansion and commercial growth is equally valuable.
To get a quote on a Flo-Smart commercial coffee dispenser for coffee shops and more, visit our website or get in touch with us directly.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest developments.
