Coffee is an emotive subject, whether we’re debating the best blend or our favourite ways to drink it. But one thing’s for sure: it’s essential to the bottom line of every hospitality business today.
If you’re a caterer trying to balance quality and efficiency, battling rising costs and staff shortages, the good news is that modern coffee technology can help you optimise for success.
The rise of bean-to-cup machines
Traditional espresso machines are great, but you need staff who can use them – all day, every day – while maintaining the level of quality and choice your business demands to stay ahead of the competition.
There may have been a time when automation of your coffee brewing was a hard pass, but things have changed. Fortunately, commercial bean-to-cup coffee machines have changed ahead of the curve.
State-of-the-art engineering means that today, there’s no faulting the superb coffees a top bean-to-cup machine will produce. They will:
- Precisely grind, measure and tamp to order, preserving the aroma and flavour profiles of your chosen beans
- Whip milk to a dreamy smooth and silky foam
- Guarantee a superior taste that satisfies customers and keeps them coming back for more
And all this is done, time and again, faster than even the most highly skilled barista. That, too, is a good thing. After all, who likes waiting in line?
How bean-to-cup machines optimise staff workflow
You’ll love the flexibility a new bean-to-cup coffee machine will bring to your business.
Let’s say your talented barista enjoys showing off their skills and crafting frothy drinks from scratch – fabulous! A steam wand extension on your bean-to-cup machine lets them do just that and bring a sense of theatre to service.
But come break time (or a period of illness), other staff can confidently step in and make all the same delicious lattes, flat whites and cappuccinos with the simple push of a button to activate the auto steam function. Now that’s great peace of mind for any proprietor!
Once the pressure of perfecting every single cup is lifted, you’ll find staff can re-focus on customer service and table service, ensuring a seamless experience that’s relaxing and enjoyable for every guest. Meanwhile, your bean-to-cup machine’s integrated cleaning functions streamline its maintenance as well, saving even more valuable time.
Expand your coffee menu
You’ll still delight coffee enthusiasts with a bean-to-cup machine. Suppliers such as Roast & Ground back up their sophisticated Swiss-made models with an equally sophisticated range of freshly roasted beans with guaranteed next-day delivery.
Nor will you be restricted in the number of drinks you can offer – installing a bean-to-cup machine could even expand them.
Models such as the Rex-Royal S500 have up to three grinders, so you could serve a flavourful dark Italian roast alongside a mellow Brazilian single-origin coffee and a decaf.
Powder containers (the S500 has two) will expand your options even further. You could include, say, a fun crème brûlée flavour as well as the ever-popular hot chocolate.
On the S500, you even have options when it comes to fresh milk. A twin milk fridge lets you offer your preferred cow’s milk as well as a non-dairy alternative such as oat drink or soya. You can also create cold milk-based drinks.
Perfect for busy caterers and hospitality groups
The latest commercial bean-to-cup coffee machines are multitasking powerhouses that can be tailored and set up to suit your requirements.
Choose a semi-automatic or fully-automatic machine, then select from a range of add-ons such as cup warmers, cup dispensers, fridges and more. Self-serve models (ideal for hotel buffets and conference facilities) can even accept payment – how’s that for convenience?
For hospitality groups, switching to top-notch bean-to-cup machines will do more to uplevel the product quality and consistency than any amount of barista training. There may be a higher upfront cost for the machine, but running costs are lower and productivity can be much, much higher.
Once they’re set up to your specifications, these sophisticated machines will deliver consistency across any number of outlets, creating fans and repeat custom for your constantly perfect coffee drinks.
Powerful, clever and stylish
Imagine serving 250 hot drinks an hour! A powerful bean-to-cup machine can do it.
Models such as the Rex-Royal S500 produce 58 litres of hot water every hour from three separate boilers, so you can craft an espresso, steam milk, and pour hot water for tea all at the same time.
The quality and consistency of the milk foam is astounding, too. Rex-Royal’s Compact Foam System will give the best barista a run for their money and its automatic HACCP-certified cleaning procedure is great for peace of mind.
Like your smartest member of staff, the S500 can even help with operations, stock management and maintenance. The Telemetry system automatically communicates with your back office. It will notify you when beans are about to run out and provide information on coffee volumes, consumption patterns, and maintenance.
Yet despite all the advanced technology, Rex-Royal’s Swiss-made machines look great too. They are sleekly designed to enhance the ambience of any cafe setting and the long-lasting, easy-clean components are a breeze to keep looking Instagram-worthy.
What COVID taught us
Even now that the worst of the pandemic has passed, the drive to minimise touchpoints is still with us. Think how readily we’ve adapted to contactless payments versus chip and pin, let alone cash.
Commercial bean-to-cup coffee machines offer a convenient and efficient way to uphold hygiene standards and project a hygienic image to customers.
For consumers who now prefer to use automated machines at supermarkets, high-tech bean-to-cup machines are a natural next step.
When they witness the sophistication of the automated coffee-making process, and then taste the delicious drinks, they’ll feel confident in their purchases and come back for more.
Easy to use
Transitioning to a commercial bean-to-cup coffee system can be seamless for your staff.
The best machines come with intuitive interfaces that are easy to operate, minimising training time and maximising efficiency so that, very quickly, your staff will become experts at serving a full menu of delicious coffees and other drinks.
With the lengthy training process that can span months to attain the mastery of a proficient barista, incorporating a machine like this eliminates the need for extensive upskilling and eases the burden of time and costs involved in onboarding. This means that new staff can hit the ground running with minimal training requirements – a particular benefit for hospitality industries that are currently facing high rates of staff turnover.
No compromise on quality
The future of coffee service is here, and it’s driven by the versatility and efficiency of commercial bean-to-cup coffee machines.
These machines offer a winning combination of flexibility, convenience and cost-efficiency without compromising the quality of the drink, making them a valuable asset for any hospitality business looking to meet modern demands and thrive in today’s competitive market.
