Whenever consumers sip coffee these days, they expect quality, in large part because of the specialty coffee house chains that have transformed java from a commodity into a premium customer experience.
Take cold brew and nitro coffee, the smooth, low-acid refreshers that are hits even with non-coffee drinkers. “Cold brew and nitro are literally the buzz of the industry,” says Jim Phillips, vice president of sales for Bunn-O-Matic Corporation. “Operators see them as key products to promote in slower dayparts, such as late mornings and afternoons.”
Indeed, instances of “cold brew” on menus are up 77% year-over-year, according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor. However, restaurant operators often face a steep learning curve and high installation and labor expenses when they implement these new coffee options. But now, new equipment solutions can help restaurateurs overcome those hurdles and compete in the fast-growing market for trendy chilled brews.
Coffee on tap
The BUNN Nitron® Cold Draft system is a major advance over the kegs or taps that coffee houses—and some restaurants—use to dispense cold brew and nitro. Such systems can be problematic for coffee service because they require regular keg cleaning and sanitizing as well as careful attention to system pressurization, which is critical for pouring nitro coffee with a consistently creamy, long-lasting head. “You need highly trained personnel to manage a keg system,” says Chairil McClain, product manager, product strategy, for BUNN. “It’s a lot for a restaurant to handle.”
A keg-free, tabletop dispensing system, Nitron Cold Draft makes serving cold brew and nitro coffee much simpler. It is a plug-and-play solution that dispenses coffee concentrate from two bag-in-box packages or one-gallon refillable containers held in a refrigerated cabinet. The unit has two tap heads, making it possible to feature both cold brew and nitro or two different styles of either.
Nitron features an exclusive in-line gas infuser and gas flow rate technology that produces an extremely long-lasting cascade of nitrogen micro-bubbles in a glass of nitro. “Our cascade can last up to three minutes or longer for a great visual presentation,” says McClain. “And the head height is consistent from pour to pour.”
Only 10 inches wide, Nitron fits easily with existing equipment. To install, the machine requires just a 120-volt electrical outlet, a filtered water line, nitrogen gas from a tank or generator and the coffee concentrate.
Creating the perfect cup every time
Hot coffee is the other essential element of a competitive restaurant coffee program. The BUNN Infusion Series® brewers give operators greater control and flexibility for varied coffee flavor profilesand batch options. Pre-infusion and pulse brew functions ensure maximum flavor.New sprayhead technology improves the uniformity of extraction and hard-water brewing performance.
As programmable solutions, Infusion Series brewers enhance the quality and consistency of coffee while simplifying operations and saving labor. They feature a USB port for easy recipe transfer and software programming. “If we are working with a chain, we can upload recipes to a USB drive that the customer can use to program all of their machines,” says Phillips. “They really appreciate that consistency.”
Learn more about BUNN Nitron at www.bunn.com/nitron
Learn more about BUNN Infusion Series at www.bunn.com/infusion-series
This post is sponsored by BUNN