Cold coffee beverages are becoming a more permanent part of the offer across HoReCa environments, from hotel breakfast and lobby service to restaurants, cafés, bars, terraces, catering and self-service settings. For operators, the opportunity is clear – but so is the challenge: delivering consistent taste, attractive presentation and efficient preparation without adding complexity during busy service periods.
The shift is visible across global coffee markets. Starbucks reports that roughly two-thirds of beverages sold in its US company-operated coffeehouses are cold, while cold beverages account for around 60% of its international beverage sales. Across Europe, World Coffee Portal reports that half of industry leaders surveyed believe there is now strong year-round demand for iced beverages.
Younger consumers are helping accelerate this development, with a strong preference for customizable, iced and flavored beverages consumed throughout the day. As demand grows, cold coffee is becoming part of a broader shift toward more variety, personalization and new flavor experiences. For operators, this creates an opportunity to expand beverage menus and reach new customer groups but also raises expectations for quality, presentation and consistency.
The hidden challenge behind premium iced coffee
While adding iced beverages to a menu may seem straightforward, consistently delivering a high-quality iced coffee experience is often more complex than expected.
Common methods include brewing coffee directly over ice, using pre-brewed coffee stored in a refrigerator, or relying on additional cooling tools before serving. Each approach can work, but each also adds variables such as temperature, timing, handling, storage and the amount of ice used. In busy environments, these factors can quickly influence the final beverage, especially its consistency from one cup to the next.
“Preparing iced coffee is not only about making coffee cold. The way the beverage is cooled has a direct impact on taste, aroma and balance,” says Wojciech Tysler, Irish Barista Champion and Brand Ambassador at Franke Coffee Systems. “When hot coffee relies mainly on ice for cooling, dilution can change the character of the drink. For operators, the challenge is to deliver an iced coffee that still tastes intentional, consistent and visually appealing, even during peak service.”
Pre-brewed coffee requires planning, storage space and careful handling. Additional cooling tools, such as metal cooling balls, can help bring down the temperature, but they also add manual steps to the workflow. During peak periods, these extra steps can slow down preparation and make it harder for staff to deliver the same result consistently.
For operators focused on premium coffee quality, the challenge is therefore not only dilution. It is also time, workflow, and repeatability.
From trend to daily operations
As cold coffee becomes a year-round category, it is no longer enough to add iced coffee to the menu. The process needs to stay simple during busy periods and deliver consistent results across different HoReCa environments, from breakfast and bar service to cafés, restaurants, terraces and self-service settings.
This is where the operational pressure becomes clear. A preparation method that works well in a small, highly trained team may be harder to manage in high-volume environments, self-service areas or multi-site operations. If the result depends too much on individual know-how, manual steps or timing, quality can vary from one beverage to the next.
Technology as an enabler
The new approach is to treat iced coffee as its own beverage workflow, not simply as a cold version of the hot coffee menu. This means controlling the brewing and cooling process while reducing the number of manual steps needed to achieve a consistent result.
This is where ActiveChill from Franke Coffee Systems comes into play. Available with the New A Line, the technology cools freshly brewed coffee before dispensing. Combined with iQFlow™ extraction technology, ActiveChill supports consistent in-cup quality while helping to preserve flavor and aroma and reduce dilution compared to traditional iced coffee preparation methods.
“For operators, iced coffee preparation needs to be reliable, repeatable and easy to integrate into daily service,” says Patrice Schaer, Product Manager at Franke Coffee Systems. “With ActiveChill, the idea was to simplify one of the most critical steps in the process: cooling freshly brewed coffee before it reaches the glass. This helps reduce manual intervention and supports a more controlled preparation workflow.”
In practice, this gives hospitality operators a simpler way to prepare iced coffee in both served and self-service areas . It helps them offer cold coffee beverages with more consistent quality while reducing the manual steps required in daily service.
Looking ahead
Iced coffee has become part of a wider shift toward customization, beverage innovation and all-day coffee consumption. For operators, the opportunity is clear, but success depends on execution.
As expectations continue to rise, the question is no longer whether to serve iced coffee. It is how to do it consistently, efficiently and without compromising the taste experience customers expect.
To learn more about professional iced coffee preparation with ActiveChill, visit the Franke Coffee Systems website
Sources: Starbucks, “Cold is rising: How global demand is shaping the future of Starbucks beverages,” 2026; 5THWAVE magazine Issue 30, 2026; “Gen Z x Coffee.”; Allegra Project Café Europe 2026
