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Coffee's Fourth Wave: What it means for retail and foodservice coffee brands | Mintel

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The US coffee market has experienced distinct waves separated by shifts in consumer attitudes and market dynamics, along with technological innovations. The first wave started in the late 1800s and defined coffee as an accessible commodity. Innovation in packaging, transportation, and brewing technologies made coffee an accessible, affordable beverage for the average American consumer. The second wave—beginning in the late 1980s/early 1990s—brought the rise of the coffee shop chain and specialty coffee drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos, took hold among young adults. Demand for higher-quality coffee increased and attributes such as ‘location of origin’ began appearing on coffee packaging. The late 2000s/early 2010s make the start of the third wave when coffee went craft with a hyper-focus on quality primarily driven by coffee shops. Third-wave coffee shops utilize premium-brewing techniques (eg pour-over) and provide detailed sourcing information—such as specific ‘location of origi

Coffee's Fourth Wave: What It Means for Retail & Foodservice Coffee Brands Skip to main content Articles + – Subscribe All Downloads Events Podcast Coffee’s Fourth Wave: What it means for retail and foodservice coffee brands Updated: March 2, 2026 Share: Copied to clipboard 5 minutes read Table of contents The US coffee market has experienced distinct waves separated by shifts in consumer attitudes and market dynamics, along with technological innovations. A brief coffee history The first wave started in the late 1800s and defined coffee as an accessible commodity . Innovation in pa

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