{"id":9304,"date":"2025-01-24T23:18:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T23:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/coffee-shop-trends\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T12:02:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T19:02:41","slug":"coffee-shop-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/blog\/coffee-shop-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Coffee Shop Technology Trends for 2026: Craver\u2019s Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From coffee-making robots<\/span><\/a> to AI-powered coffee blenders<\/span><\/a>, the first few weeks of 2026 have been packed with exciting, tech-focused coffee shop trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, given some of the tech-focused moves we\u2019ve seen our favorite brands making\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re predicting big things from coffee shops throughout the rest of this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are Craver\u2019s top five predictions for the coffee shop technology trends we\u2019ll be seeing more of in 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trend 1 \u2014 Membership and Subscription Programs for Coffee Shops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, the World Coffee Portal<\/span><\/a> reported that 1\/3 of customers would prefer paying for a subscription vs. per visit. In 2024, Blank Street Coffee\u2019s four-month-old membership service<\/span><\/a> reached (an almost unbelievable<\/em>) 5,000 members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now, in 2026, even the smallest local coffee shops are jumping on the memberships and subscriptions train, because the past few years have shown us they work. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Springfield Wakery, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small, Illinois coffee shop launched their first-ever subscription service this year, announcing the big news in an Instagram post on January 8th<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The (aptly named) \u201cWakery Coffee Subscription<\/span><\/a>\u201d is a simple yet effective pre-pay subscription model, hosted on the coffee shop\u2019s Square website. To subscribe, all you have to do is pick the number of coffees you\u2019d like to pre-pay for, add the subscription to your cart, check out like you would with any other online product, and voil\u00e0! You\u2019re officially a Wakery Coffee subscriber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"TheSource: The Wakery<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, to make the subscription even more <\/em>worth it, The Wakery has implemented a \u201cbuy more, save more\u201d pricing system; a feature they explained on Instagram<\/span><\/a> as a true win-win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craver predicts that more coffee shops will try out a membership or subscription model in 2026, especially smaller coffee shops that feel empowered by simple, easy-to-use subscription models like The Wakery\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to launch a coffee shop subscription in 2026? See how Craver can help.<\/div>\n\t\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBook A Demo\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Trend 2 \u2014 Digital Menu Boards for Coffee Shops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that digital menu boards can increase sales by up to 38%<\/span><\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve also been shown to reduce perceived wait time by 35%<\/span><\/a>+, increase margin-per-order by 3%<\/span><\/a>+, and amplify employee productivity by 20%<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, if <\/span>that<\/em> doesn\u2019t sell you digital menu boards\u2019 potential\u2026 maybe <\/span>Socotra Coffee House<\/a> will. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yemeni coffee shop opened in August 2023, an Ann Arbor-based business \u201c[honoring] the cultural traditions of Yemen by bringing them to a fresh new audience<\/span><\/a>.\u201d But, despite the brand\u2019s focus on \u201ctraditional\u201d coffee and pastries, co-founder Sam Al Rabeei knew the shop needed a more modern touch\u2026 so he DIY\u2019d his own digital menu boards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just wanted something basic, something that people can see and is very neat,\u201d said Al Rabeei<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI could have hired a company to do the signage and stuff, but it’s very simple \u2014 you can use an HDMI or [USB to connect to the TV], then you just literally turn it on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to 2024, and Socotra Coffee House has continued its steady growth trajectory, connecting with the local community through partnerships<\/a>, events<\/span><\/a>, and online appearances<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With coffee shop owners like Al Rabeei demonstrating that in-house tech doesn\u2019t have to be expensive or complicated, Craver predicts that more coffee shops will adopt simple, service-improving digital signage and menu boards in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Coffee<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Trend 3 \u2014 Delivery Integrations for Coffee Shops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In March 2024, DoorDash surveyed over 1,500 US consumers<\/span><\/a> for their annual \u201cOnline Ordering Trends\u201d report, and the results were way <\/em>more delivery-heavy than you might expect this far post-pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to DoorDash\u2019s report, 7 in 10 respondents<\/span><\/a> had ordered food delivery over the past month, with 33% saying their delivery habits had actually increased<\/em> compared to the prior year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combine those figures with the 3 in 10 respondents<\/span><\/a> naming third-party apps as their go-to for delivery, and it\u2019s obvious why coffee shops are prioritizing better delivery integrations \u2014 especially when brands like Caff\u00e8 Nero<\/span><\/a> are proving that it works. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Q1 2024, Caff\u00e8 Nero reported a record-breaking 28% increase<\/span><\/a> in delivery sales across UK markets, with the brand\u2019s international stores reaching sales of 80M USD<\/span><\/a>. And, by the time Q3 2024 rolled around, delivery had reached 2% of Caff\u00e8 Nero\u2019s total sales<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m hugely encouraged by the group\u2019s performance during the last financial year,\u201d said Caff\u00e8 Nero Founder and Group CEO, Gerry Ford<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWe have returned to pre-[COVID] levels plus a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the increasing demand for at-home delivery \u2014 and the proof that delivery can and does<\/em> ramp up sales \u2014 Craver predicts more coffee shop owners and operators will expand their delivery tech integrations in 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delivery integrations get a lot easier when you start with a custom-branded mobile app.\u00a0<\/div>\n\t\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBook A Demo\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Trend 4 \u2014 Better In-App Personalization for Coffee Shops <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Achieving personalization levels customers expect can be difficult, especially since competing third-party apps have a data-driven upper hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Uber Eats and DoorDash have massive amounts of data and predictive insights to guide their innovative personalization efforts, local coffee shop owners have to tackle personalization improvements a little more creatively (AKA without <\/em>billions of people\u2019s worth of data).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s \u201cimpossible,\u201d though \u2014 just look at Dunkin\u2019 Donuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the revamped \u201cDunkin\u2019 Rewards\u201d program<\/span><\/a> rolled out in 2022, the Dunkin\u2019 App has skyrocketed in popularity, reaching over 30 million active users<\/span><\/a> and launching a whole new range of personalized features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, did Dunkin\u2019 have Uber Eats-level data guiding their new personalization? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nope. They just asked what people wanted. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we set out to improve DD Perks, we asked our members what they wanted to see in a new program,\u201d said Scott Murphy, Dunkin\u2019 President and Head of Beverage-Snack<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThey told us three things: flexibility, variety, and recognition, [and] we did just that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New personalization features delivered on all three promises, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n