QSR Magazine: Drinks on the House

While restaurants' nonalcoholic beverages sales continue to decline, there are still growth segments that operators are tapping into. According to a recent QSR Magazine article, more restaurants are making premium, house-made drinks such as artisan sodas, cold-pressed juices, and smoothies.

Beverages that include “homemade” in the name have increased by 15 percent in the previous 12 months before November of last year. Since 2012, the growth in this segment is 46 percent overall.

“Operators have to look for ways to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, and that becomes harder every day,” says Mike Kostyo, senior publications manager for Chicago-based Datassential. “A restaurant that takes the time to make agua fresca or lemonade from scratch stands out.”