Flavia’s new C300 gives operators a competitive advantage

April 10, 2023
As one of the first single-cup solutions, Flavia has emerged as a frontrunner on the strength of multiple beverage choices, including cold drink options.

Amazingly, as a major operator in greater Los Angeles for 37 years, I never operated a Flavia unit. The more I have learned about Flavia, the more I realize that Flavia would have made my business even more valuable. As an operator today, there is no way I would operate an OCS business without Flavia. With the April launch of the new Flavia C300, Flavia is clearly an essential product for any serious operator.

Meeting evolving needs

As one of the leading single-cup beverage solutions, Flavia has always been centered around convenience, reliability and variety. Introduced in the 1980s, Flavia elevated its game to the next level in 2020, adding cold drinks to the Flavia product line, with the launch of the Flavia C600 + CHILL. “This was a game-changer not just because it enabled us to meet more consumer needs throughout the workday, but also because we know that, even when it comes to coffee, consumer preferences are evolving,” said Nathan Route, senior associate brand manager for Flavia. “Iced coffee and cold brew ar e growing trends, even in the cooler months, especially with millennial and Gen Z consumers.”

The new C300 expands the opportunity for operators to add cold drinks as part of the Flavia platform. “We felt the shift in consumption preferences was so important that we expanded access to Flavia cold drinks by adding Chill Refresh technology to the new Flavia C300, which is a more compact, affordable and easy-to-use workplace brewer, perfect for medium- to large-size offices,” Route said. “Now, cold drinks will be accessible, with a Chill module, across the majority of the Flavia machine portfolio. This means more variety, in even more workplaces.”

Big innovation – cold drinks

Route believes that the addition of cold drinks has been one of Flavia’s biggest innovations in recent years, and the infused waters have been especially popular. Flavia currently offers Strawberry Basil and Cucumber Lime Mint infused waters in its everyday portfolio, and this month, it is launching a Yuzu Lemon infused water as a limited-edition item. “All of the infused waters are made with all-natural ingredients, no artificial colors or sweeteners, and under 15 calories,” he added.

Flavia’s cold brew solution

“The Lavazza Cold Brew is also a popular item in our new cold drinks range. The technology is very unique, in order to be able to produce a cold brew coffee using ground coffee, not liquid, right from a Freshpack. It’s a great option for offices looking to keep up with the cold brew coffee trend without investing in a lot of other equipment,” Route noted.

The cold brew coffee market grew by 7.23% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, according to TechNavio’s Global Cold Brew Coffee Market 2023-2027. This accelerated growth is largely driven by millennials and Gen Z, which make up a large portion of the workforce. The Lavazza Cold Brew Freshpack is a key product addition for operators to easily offer a cold brew option.

Flavia’s competitive advantage

Flavia has been delivering a competitive advantage for operators since it was introduced back in the 1980s. Route pointed to some of the clear benefits for operators and end users:

Variety – Every workplace has one thing in common; they all need a wide variety of beverages to keep today’s employees happy. Flavia offers a variety of coffee roasts from top coffee brands including Starbucks, Peet’s and Lavazza. In addition to coffee, Flavia also offers froth and fresh in-cup milk frothing to create authentic, barista-quality lattes and cappuccinos, hot tea, hot chocolate, iced teas, iced coffee, cold brew and infused water. It’s an incredible selection.

Direct Brewing – Flavia has eliminated the problem of cross-contamination, a typical issue with popular single-cup brewers. The Freshpack acts as its own brewing chamber and dispenses directly from the pack to the cup. So, every drink brews without taste, allergen or contaminant transfer.

Quality – Flavia’s high-quality beverage selections are maintained by precise flavor extraction. The nozzle diffuses water, completely within the Freshpack, at exactly the right pressure and temperature, which means less water and ingredients needed, without sacrificing taste, flavor or brew strength.

Strong ROI – Historically, the ROI on equipment is less than one year. The increasing use of multiple Freshpacks to make specialty drinks and the addition of cold beverages will only accelerate that trend.

Multiple solutions from a single source – There are beverage options for everyone and not just coffee drinkers. Having an all-in-one beverage system saves on costs and counterspace.

Reliability – Typically, when you place a Flavia system, you set it and forget. With an average time of 3+ years between service calls, Flavia brewers require less maintenance, which means less chance of germ exposure in these self-contained machines.

No theft issues – Flavia is a system dedicated to the workplace. This means there are no Freshpacks leaving the office and being taken home for consumption. Plus, operators will not be facing price competition from big box stores, unlike other single-cup brewers.

Commitment to sustainability

While sustainability is not always relevant in the world of single-serve office refreshment solutions, according to Route, Flavia is committed to being a sustainable solution, a strong selling point in today’s workplace.

“We start at the source and take care of our farming communities. Lavazza associates work yearly with our coffee or tea farming communities on a project to better their livelihoods and increase their capabilities,” Route said. “Additionally, the Lavazza family, Flavia’s owner, has a mission to fight waste, care for communities, and protect the planet. That’s why Freshpacks are 100% recyclable through TerraCycle.”

“In 2019, Flavia celebrated 10 years of the ‘Recycle Your Freshpacks Program,’ which has recycled over 156 million Freshpacks and turned the recycled materials into park benches, railroad ties, bike racks and more. The recycling program is growing quickly because of strong customer support,” he added.

Seeking like-minded partners

Route said that Flavia is on pace to have a huge growth year. “Our strategy is to work with operators that have a similar vision and strategy, as true partners, and extensions of our brand. We want operators who seek to offer a wide variety of beverages and high-quality brands; operators who are committed to providing exceptional beverage solutions to their clients,” he said.

Technology as a cornerstone

“Flavia is always looking for new, creative ways to meet the changing preferences of office consumers while continuing to offer a convenient, hassle-free system. Since the introduction of the IoT system with the Flavia C600 and now the Flavia C300, technology will also continue to be a cornerstone of our innovation. This is largely because there is so much value to be leveraged by both consumers as well as our operators including consumption trends, automatic service alerts to technicians that reduces machine downtime, and restock notifications of the most popular drinks.”

To order the Flavia C300 and Chill Refresh, contact your beverage distributor or complete a quick form on Flavia.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Tullio is a content specialist, speaker, sales trainer, consultant and contributing editor of Automatic Merchandiser/VendingMarketWatch.com. He advises entrepreneurs on how to build a successful business from the ground up and specializes in helping suppliers connect with operators in the convenience services industry – coffee service, vending, micro markets and pantry service specifically. 

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