Coffee Ordering Is a Thing

Posted on: 2016-01-15 10:21 AM

It's never been easier for consumers to get things delivered. So why not coffee?
 
Imagine a piping hot coffee delivered to your office or home at the proverbial "click of a button." For consumers, it's perfect. For the coffee companies attempting to provide these services, it's a bit more complicated. But two of the major chains, Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, are ready to give it a try.
 
2015 was a big year for Starbucks, which added several services designed to be quick and convenient. In September, the company rolled out nationwide availability of Mobile Order & Pay through its apps, which allows customers to order ahead on the app and pick up in-store without waiting. In October, Starbucks announced a pilot project: It started bringing coffee and other items to employees of the Empire State Building through an in-house service, Starbucks Green Apron Delivery, which promised items "delivered by Starbucks baristas right to your office." And in December, Starbucks officially debuted its previously announced partnership with start-up Postmates, allowing customers in Seattle to order delivery using the Starbucks app.
 
It's not just Starbucks getting into the delivery game. In November, Dunkin' Donuts launched two programs designed to "make it even easier and more convenient for people to run on Dunkin' from morning to night," announced a company press release. On-the-go ordering — which works with the company's app in a similar style to Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay — first launched in Portland, Maine. Dunkin' Delivery, meanwhile, first launched in Dallas as a partnership with the on-demand delivery start-up DoorDash, and both services have expanded into other cities.
 
But why coffee delivery? "Both ordering methods are simply new ways to... meet customers where they are in their day," says Starbucks spokesperson Maggie Jantzen. Apparently, the most-asked-for service on the My Starbucks Idea blog was, "When will Starbucks just bring me coffee?"
 
According to Darren Tristano, the president of food industry research firm Technomic, "with the rise of on-demand delivery services like Postmates and others, many operators have researched the opportunity to outsource or build delivery services," and that includes brands already known for convenience. "Although fast-food and coffee chains have great convenience — including in-store and drive-through options — the expectation by consumers to get restaurant food delivered is increasing," he says, "and broadening across new segments."
 
But anyone who has waited longer than expected for a food delivery, received a dish that had cooled in transit, or not received what was ordered, understands that delivery logistics are complicated. Unlike Amazon shipments, there's only a brief window of time that most food items can be delivered before getting cold or spoiling, and some might say that the window is even shorter for coffee.
 
"The flavor and aroma characteristics of hot, brewed coffee drinks change quite rapidly as the temperature decreases," says Nick Brown, editor of Roast Magazine's Daily Coffee News. "And while everyone drinks their beverage at a different pace, the most loyal of customers may have some sensory expectations tied to their favorite drinks. Time and temperature seem to be the two biggest obstacles here in repeating the experiences consumers have come to expect within the brick-and-mortar retail locations."