Hot bar, cold bar – bridging the gap

How one piece of equipment can unlock new drink possibilities, drive innovation, and elevate the café experience.

It’s a well-worn statement that Australia is a global leader in the specialty coffee scene. The culture here was built on a European model, which has seen high-quality coffee seamlessly incorporated into traditional café settings.

However, despite its leadership, it’s believed Australian cafés could learn a thing or two from their American and Asian counterparts. Many North American venues follow a model that bridges the gap between hot and cold drinks, creating the best of both worlds: the hot bar, cold bar cafés.

According to Tim Sweet of equipment supplier Barista Group, the cold bar addition to cafés represents enormous potential. He says this approach can not only enhance the overall café experience but also provide a financially sustainable model, enabling venues to tap into an entirely new demographic.

“If you prefer specialty coffee, you’ll stick to specialty coffee cafés. And if you’re after a vanilla caramel mocha, you’ll typically stick to mainstream commercial cafés, which is a massive market by comparison. But by breaking down the barriers between casual and specialty coffee drinkers, hot bar, cold bar cafés are transforming the coffee culture to make it more inclusive and capture a broader audience,” says Tim.

Recently, the fusion of unexpected flavours and the rise of unique, sometimes quirky drinks are defining the evolving landscape of Australian coffee culture – and it’s not going to slow down any time soon.

In late 2024, Barista Group Founder Joe Chalhoub visited Berlin and discovered LAP Coffee, where he was captivated by its split menu featuring both classic and cold coffee options. After enjoying a standout Iced Oat Caramel Matcha, he learned from the Co-Owner that traditional coffee menus are declining in popularity as younger drinkers drive the demand for creative, cold beverages similar to the Australian market.

The Strawberry Matcha and Mont Blanc have solidified their place as menu staples, while the rise of ube syrups adds an exotic twist to traditional coffee drinks. Along with growing experimentation with ingredients such as charcoal and matcha-infused beverages, both cafés and consumers are pushing the boundaries of traditional coffee drinks.

“Often there are two major drivers for large scale change. In the past, Australia was a country on the frontline of change because as an industry we wanted to lead the way. But now we find our industry in a position of change due to necessity,” says Tim.

He adds that another exciting shift is the emergence of house-made sodas. Rather than relying on pre-bought sodas, cafés are crafting their own iced teas, lemonades, and sodas for a fresh and creative alternative to traditional fizzy drinks.

“There’s a real buzz in the US around coffee innovation right now. New trends are popping up everywhere, and it’s exciting to see how creative and inclusive the scene has become. Coffee culture has always been there, but it’s really taking off now, with bold new flavour combinations and drinks reaching a wider audience,” he says.

“A lot of Australians who’ve travelled to the US and Asia are seeing the potential in this coffee revolution and bringing these fresh ideas back home.”

With trends like matcha and ube, which have roots in Eastern cultures, coffee is increasingly blending Eastern and Western influences to make café culture more global than ever. It looks like cold drinks are here to stay – and will continue growing – as social media fuels the trend, with their visual appeal, vibrant colours, and unique presentations gaining attention.

“It’s not just about the taste, it’s about the experience and the visual aspect that draws people in. When people see drinks like ube or matcha lattes popping up in cafes, they’re not just attracted to the flavour, they’re intrigued by how it looks, which adds to the overall experience,” says Tim.

To remain relevant in the market, it’s important for cafés to leverage this growing movement, hop on board, and make the most out of it. Tim believes a gateway to unlocking this potential is the Übermilk Plus liquid dispenser.

He says the machine is the ideal assistant to any café looking to innovate in the cold drinks space. But more importantly, it alleviates some of the pain points café owners may experience when trying to lean into the cold drinks trend.

Tim says a lack of skills is one common factor deterring café owners from switching up their menus. To address this, the Übermilk Plus can be configured to deliver up to seven liquids. For example, it can deliver two types of warm or cold, perfectly textured milk simultaneously, as well as up to five other liquids, including cold brew, chilled foam, syrups, and more.

“Labour, in particular, is a major expense, and many of these new drinks require learning new skills or adding preparation time,” says Tim.

For a complex beverage, Übermilk Plus can start with a prepared base, such as a concentrated matcha designed and prepared in-house or in bulk, to ensure a consistent, replicable result each time. Whether it’s a strawberry, mango, or another matcha variation, they simply fill the cup with ice and add the pre-measured matcha concentrate and programmed ratios.

“The machine is then prompted to create a consistent serve. From there, you can add foam or other ingredients to customise the drink based on the customer’s order, but the core base of the drink remains the same,” says Tim.

“Because the Übermilk system can prepare seven different ingredient options, this replaces the need for messy, inconsistent squeezy bottles and manual measurement of ingredients, , this can invite opportunities for human error, cross contamination and inconsistency.”

He says that during peak times, this can become a labour burden. Therefore, the goal of the Übermilk is to combine the expertise of skilled baristas with cutting-edge technology, helping cafés meet the growing demands of the market while maintaining consistency and efficiency.

Tim encourages the industry to embrace change, let go of the fear of the unknown, and reap the rewards.

“Change can be a frightening word, especially in current times. But a lot of these changes don’t require us to abandon any of the specialty coffee traditions and menu items we currently hold dear,” he says.

“The fear of the unknown comes from the fact that many in the coffee community have been doing things a certain way for a long time, and with the pressure of a busy environment, they’re often not inclined to learn new skills or expand their menus. It’s typically those new to the industry or those already established and open to change who embrace these innovations.”

However, the financial return from these drinks often justifies the extra effort, offering a substantial profit that is much more sustainable than what’s typically seen in the coffee industry.

“The price is more appropriate for the volume and total sale value that coffee typically represents. Right now, while the price of coffee per kilogram is increasing, it still pales in comparison to labour costs and the overall sale price. In Australia, coffee remains relatively cheap compared to the overheads and cost of goods,” says Tim.

Drinks with a higher sale price highlight just how much cheaper a standard flat white or cappuccino is in comparison to cold drinks. Tim says this creates a comparison opportunity for consumers to reflect and appreciate how affordable traditional café items are.

“By shifting from the European-based model, we don’t need to lose what we love most,” says Tim. “Instead, we can enhance our offerings and adapt our operations to meet the demands of the current times and future expectations.” 

For more information, visit baristagroup.com.au