Cold foam has increased 118% on U.S. restaurant menus since 2020 which has urged QSR operators to find ways to incorporate it on their menus. But traditional cold foam is difficult and time consuming to make. It requires special equipment, additional training, and it produces excess waste. And during the middle of a pandemic, operators couldn’t afford to take on any more operational challenges.
A leading national coffee chain wanted to cash in on the popularity of cold foam. Specialty coffee cravings were growing among their customer base, and they knew if they couldn’t deliver, someone else would. But, for a QSR, time, ease-of-use, reduced waste, and cost savings are critical to executing successful additions to the menu. So, the chain came to us to help them add the foam (without the headache) to a seasonal LTO.
It was an all-hands-on-deck initiative! From culinary to supply chain to food science to marketing, every single team at Rubix played a part in solving the QSR’s problem. In the end, we developed a custom-flavored cold foam – traditionally made with specialty equipment – into an aerosol product. This aerosol technology, which makes cold foam easier and faster to use, eliminates the need for expensive equipment or training, all while enhancing quality, delivering consistency, increasing throughput, and reducing prep time and costly waste.
The LTO featuring our cold foam drove immediate traffic to the chain’s 8,000+ locations. The week of its launch, visits to the QSR were up 8% compared to the same week 2 years prior. At the end of its run, the chain committed to bringing the limited time cold foam back the following year but at a 33% higher volume.
On average, brands charge 27% more for cold brew LTOs with cold foam compared to cold brew LTOs without cold foam.
59% of Datassential surveyors said they would visit this QSR specifically for the beverage featuring our cold foam.
Following our cold foam’s launch, Google searches for “cold foam” piqued 108% above the 2 year average and remained elevated for 3 months.
Good. We love problems! Tell us a little more about your food challenges and together, we’ll Rubix It!
