Chobani to debut cold brew coffee to go beyond yogurt

In 2019, Chobani began branching out into oat milk and coffee creamers, trying to expand its reputation beyond its signature Greek yogurt.

Kicks off 2021 with another daring category entry: coffee.

Starting in January, Chobani customers will be able to purchase ready-to-drink coffee drinks at U.S. retailers. Cold drinks will be available black or flavored with the company’s sweet cream, vanilla cream or oat milk. The coffee itself is made from 100% Arabica beans.

The product launch comes as more Americans drink their coffee at home rather than in the office or in a coffee shop. The ready-to-drink coffees category saw retail sales rise 17% to $ 1.6 billion in the 52 weeks ending Oct. 31, Nielsen data showed. Keurig Dr Pepper is among those who gained the trend, with net sales of its coffee systems up 3% to $ 1.1 billion in the third quarter.

But Chobani’s coffee line has been around since the successful launch of its coffee creamers, which have helped the company get to know coffee drinkers.

“We started with the creamy products, and it went so well that we said to keep on our way, and that was the next natural step for us,” said Chobani’s chief innovation officer, Niel Sandfort, in an interview.

Sandfort said the company is eager to bring its yogurt flavor expertise to its new categories, including coffee.

Chobani coffee has a suggested retail price of $ 4.49 per 32-ounce multiservice pack and contains around 85 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which is standard for coffee. The bottles are made with Tetra Top cartons, which makes them easily recyclable.

“Chobani’s kind of business model, basically in terms of food development, is owning manufacturing, so our costs are reasonable, and therefore we can provide these ingredients with high quality but not as expensive as you. think, ”Sandfort said.

When launching its coffee creamers, Chobani focused on its use of real cream or oat milk, rather than the hydrogenated vegetable oils usually used in this type of product. Sandfort said that as a result, the line is attracting new customers who haven’t used coffee cream before. And now the company is hoping that Chobani Coffee brings the same additional traffic to the ready-to-drink category.