New data from Tastewise’s trend snapshot, which uses AI technology to analyze billions of data points in real time, shows a growing interest in salted coffee drinks across U.S. cafes and restaurants. Using a proven methodology to track trends and behaviors as they evolve, Tastewise’s newly launched data suggests coffee shops and cafes have increased salt-related coffee menu items, such as Vietnamese café and modern bubble tea chains like Wildcat Bubble Tea, Jus Bar, and Bon Bon’s Café offering Seasalt Coffee, which combines salt with foam or cream.
The data also found a few other key metrics that indicate that salted coffees are on the rise, such as:
- Salted caramel appears on 20% of menus that use salt, often in lattes and cold brews, demonstrating how salt is integrated into everyday coffee offerings.
- Salt menu items in U.S. restaurants grew by 22.67% year over year, with American restaurants alone seeing a 38.38% increase.
- Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and other larger coffee brands have begun testing salted flavors and are in the early stages of innovation with salted coffee.
Why salted coffee could be here to stay
Tastewise’s data suggests that salted coffee has long-term staying power due to several factors, which include consistent menu growth, widespread ingredient pairings, consumer alignment, and a broader salt trend momentum.
Salt’s menu presence isn’t just growing in quantity but also diversifying across various coffee formats and concepts, such as sea salt foam, salted caramel, and salted cream toppings. Today’s consumer needs focus on taste and texture, which are well-aligned with the multisensory, indulgent profile of salted coffee.
