As if the retail and at-home markets weren’t enough, toss in yet another competitor for OCS operators: the mojoe™ personal mobile coffee maker. Yesterday, VMW reported on this new product, which is no larger than a conventional travel mug and brews coffee on-the-go anytime, anywhere. MoJoe Brewing Company, a Baltimore, MD-based start-up, created the product and is marketing the mobile mojoe™ coffee maker as a more efficient way for consumers to get their coffee fix. Could this product have the ability to affect office coffee service?
The stats don’t lie
It’s no secret that coffee is a growth segment. In the 2013 State of the Vending Industry report, we noted that OCS experienced sales growth, especially in the fresh-brew specialty/flavored segment. In 2013, fresh-brew regular coffee even accounted for $334.71 million in the coffee service industry. And it’s not just in the industry.
In its 2014 National Coffee Drinking Trends, National Coffee Association (NCA) reported that daily consumption of gourmet coffee beverages is up 3 percent to 34 percent from 2013’s 31 percent. And now, consumers are looking for even more convenience. The same NCA report found that 15 percent of Americans have a single-cup brewer in their household and another 25 said they were very likely to get one in the next six months. The way in which consumers are brewing their coffee is changing and the location in which they brew their coffee can change, too, with the mojoe™ coffee maker.
The way it works
So the mojoe™ is actually pretty cool. The travel mug comes with a filter in which the consumer places his/her coffee grounds. Then the user snaps on the travel lid and can store the grounds for later or use them immediately. The user fills one side of the mug with water and simply turns on the travel mug (which is powered by a rechargeable battery). The water boils on one side of the mug and is siphoned on the other side. The user can detach the battery once they are ready to drink and voila.
Suffering? Nah
Frankly, while I think the mojoe™ is a great idea, I don’t see office coffee suffering. The product allows the consumer to brew a cup of coffee on-the-go, however, when the consumer is in the office, they aren’t thinking about having to brew their own coffee. If office coffee is offered, my guess is that they will go for that first. And that’s not all. Another factor for keeping customers drinking office coffee is the mojoe’s price. MoJoe Brewing Co. is offering the mug for a whopping $69. And while that is minimal compared to purchasing coffee-shop cups of joe, I’ll stick to the convenience of the complimentary coffee when I’m in the office, thanks.
