Why Cold Brew Belongs on Your Menu

Out of all the cups of coffee serves at cafes daily across Canada, almost one fifth of them are cold.^[1]

Cold brew coffee has become a staple in cafés, restaurants, and quick-service establishments with younger generations, especially Millennials, driving popularity. Gen Z and Millennials make up the largest generational segment in the country, meaning they have significant purchasing power and influence over beverage trends.^[2]

For food service operators, meeting these preferences can directly boost sales and strengthen brand loyalty. One simple way to do this is by offering cold brew concentrate. Here are six reasons why:

^[1]  Coffee Association of Canada June 2025
^[2] Ipsos Chats Webinar 2025

^[3] NIQ Canada, Tariff Impact Study – How Canadian Grocery Shoppers Will Respond to U.S. Tariffs, June vs March 2025.

Customers want to receive the same beverage experience every visit. A cold brew concentrate ensures a uniform flavour profile across all servings, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

LEGENDARY Cold Brew comes with easy, step-by-step instructions so operators can serve specialty beverages quickly and consistently, without extra training or complexity. Just mix one part coffee concentrate with five parts water or milk, then adjust to taste.

Labour costs and time are major concerns for operators. Traditional cold brew requires 12–24 hours to steep, demanding advance planning and significant storage space. Switching to a concentrate eliminates this long brewing process, freeing staff to focus on customer service or other tasks. Streamlined, easy-to-execute products simplify training, making it faster to onboard new employees and reducing the risk of mistakes.

A cold brew concentrate offers incredible versatility. It can be diluted to make classic cold brew, blended into iced lattes, or incorporated into recipes like milkshakes, desserts and cocktails. For example, by simply mixing a liqueur, syrup, and ice, operators can create a signature espresso martini or a cold brew shaft. This flexibility allows cafés to expand their menu and offer creative options, without adding complexity or extra prep time.

Inventory control and cost management are always top priorities for businesses. When cold brew is made in-house, its peak freshness typically lasts only 5-7 days. In contrast, LEGENDARY Cold Brew is shelf-stable for up to 18 months when sealed, and for up to four months once opened and refrigerated.

Additionally, using a cold brew concentrate allows baristas to prepare only what’s needed, reducing the risk of leftover brewed coffee going to waste. Each one-liter bottle of concentrate yields up to six liters of cold brew, or approximately 33 x 12 oz cups.

Using a cold brew concentrate makes it easy to calculate the exact cost per serving, simplifying pricing and profit margin management. At the cafe level, each cup of cold brew can typically be sold for over $5, so operators can achieve strong profitability while serving exceptional beverages.