As part of Deliveroo Kuwait’s initiative to support local restaurants and coffee shops, the delivery platform is encouraging customers to order their favorite caffeinated beverages from their most beloved local brands. Deliveroo Kuwait is highlighting this campaign under the hashtag #LoveYourLocal, and is encouraging customers to support local favorites such as Richard’s, Alert, CAF, Ushk, Koobs, and more.

According to a 2019 report by regional consultancy firm, Valustrat, the Middle Eastern region has the highest consumption of hot beverages versus other regions in the world, with the regional coffee industry expected to see a growth of USD 4.4 billion by 2021. Although small in stature, the Kuwaiti market is also proving to be one of the region’s top coffee contenders, and is among the top three countries in the region that is expected to experience robust growth in the next five years, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In honor of everyone’s favorite drink, Deliveroo Kuwait reached out to several coffee partners on upcoming trends, flavors, and forecasts for the local coffee scene.

DIY Coffee

While most of us know dalgona coffee as the “quarantine coffee” that took the internet by storm, the cloud-like drink quickly made headlines (and Instagram stories!) by being simple enough to make at home while still feeling like an indulgent caffeinated treat. While we are not expecting this viral trend to go away anytime soon, dalgona coffee is a clear indicator of a larger trend at play: people are loving the process of making their coffees at home.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people who have shown an interest in specialty coffee and have started to make their coffees at home. Nowadays, people want to grind their own coffee and get that perfect extraction — people want to learn!”

Jarrah Albuloushi, founder at Richard’s Coffee Co.

The founder of Richard’s also notes a marked uptake in the amount of coffee bean purchases over the past year. Whereas consumers used to purchase individual-sized portions of coffee prior to the lockdown, they are now purchasing up to a quarter of a kilogram worth of coffee beans, and pairing them with several coffee-making tools sold at the coffee shop.

“People started buying beans. It’s become totally normal for people to say that they want to try coffee beans from a particular region in Ethiopia or Colombia,” continues Albuloushi. “We’ve truly witnessed the growth of a new coffee culture in the past year, and that has always been one of our primary goals when we founded Richard’s.”

Captivated by Capsules

Coffee meets convenience! According to Mordor Intelligence, instant coffee and coffee pods are becoming increasingly popular among the masses who have taken to preparing consistently good coffee from the comfort of home. This trend has led to a rise in purchases of specialty coffee machines and equipment. Plus, with over 5 billion single-serve coffee pods sold each year, coffee capsules have truly become a phenomenon within the coffee market.

In 2020, local coffee shop CAF also launched their own coffee capsules in six roasts: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Origami – Colombia, and Origami – Ethiopia.

Flavor Twists

Unexpected flavors and twists on traditional tastes also seem to be trending worldwide. Local coffee shop Koobs is planning to expand on the trend of merging unexpected flavors into the coffee market.

“We love the idea of mixing unusual ingredients within our lattes to create a whole new flavor and drinking experience. We’re constantly striving to cater to local tastes by striking that perfect balance between sweetened and unsweetened drinks, and hot and cold varieties.”

Esraa Karam, communications manager at Koobs

Drive-Thru & Delivery

With lockdowns still very much a part of our everyday reality, more and more coffeeshops are incorporating drive-through or car pick-up services as an ordering option, in addition to delivery.

In a 2020 survey by Deliveroo, the company found that online food platforms are also influencing the ways in which we dine, with 29% of survey respondents saying they order takeaway because they are unable to make their favorite dish at home, and 27% viewing online ordering as a vital way to support their favorite local restaurants.

“This past year has proven just how crucial delivery is to the food and beverage industry. With consumer trends continuing to shift in the direction of online orders, it’s important for restaurants to meet their customers online and cater to evolving consumer behavior. Throughout this past year and into 2021, Deliveroo is proud to be among the market leaders who are making it that much easier for everyone to support their favorite local businesses.”

Seham AlHusaini, general manager at Deliveroo Kuwait

For both Richard’s and Koobs, delivery has proven to be a crucial means of ensuring coffee lovers around the country are getting their favorite beverages.

“During the course of the pandemic, everything changed. Consumer behavior changed and people’s purchasing and buying behaviors changed,” says Jarrah Albuloushi, founder at Richard’s. At the same time, we greatly relied on our online presence, which is why Deliveroo was such an invaluable part of our journey during the past year.”

“Our partnership with Deliveroo is one that has proven it has great value for us, both during lockdown and after,” says Esraa Karam, communications manager at Koobs.

Ready-to-Drink

According to Mordor Intelligence, the global Ready-to-Drink (RTD) coffee market is also projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.69% from 2020-2025. In light of the pandemic, manufacturers are expecting a consumer shift toward RTD coffee as an alternative to freshly brewed coffee. Furthermore, RTD coffee is often touted as an excellent source of instant energy, which has led to it becoming popular amongst youngsters and active individuals.

Last year, Koobs launched their own versions of RTD drinks, which are available in 1-liter bottles in flavors including: cold brew, matcha, salted caramel, Spanish latte, iced Americano, and more.

Deliveroo recently celebrated its second year of business in the Kuwaiti market, delivering hundreds of thousands of meals to hungry customers around the country since its launch. Since its launch, Deliveroo has set itself apart with its unbeatable customer service, putting thousands of hungry customers at ease from the second they launch the app to the minute they start enjoying a meal from one of its many local restaurant partners.

With exclusive restaurant partners (including Five Guys, Starbucks, AZ Kitchen by Ahmad Al Zamel, and so much more), special offers and meal deals, you can bet that Deliveroo Kuwait’s got your next meal covered.

Featured image, Cheerios Latte from Ush. Follow Deliveroo on Instagram @deliveroo_kw or visit deliveroo.com.kw for more information. Download the app, on the App Store or Google Play for quick and easy delivery from all of your favorite restaurants.