Ordering coffee today is no longer just an everyday gesture, but a personalized, sustainable, technological experience. Out-of-home consumption – in bars, restaurants, hotels, and catering – is changing its skin, following new customer sensibilities and trends that are reshaping the world of food & beverage.

Among the strongest trends of the moment is definitely the green change. More and more cafeterias are choosing biodegradable materials, reducing waste through smart technologies and offering plant-based alternatives to milk. But sustainability goes hand in hand with technology: the use of apps to order and pay is growing, contactless solutions are being experimented with, and artificial intelligence is coming into play to suggest products based on customers' tastes or optimize the experience in the lounge.

The other key word is customization. Consumers want custom-made coffee, from temperature to foam, perhaps enriched with functional ingredients such as turmeric, ashwagandha or vitamins. Spaces are also adapting, transforming into multifunctional environments that mix coffee breaks with coworking, bookstores, or small boutiques. Design plays a key role: natural atmospheres, sustainable materials, and relaxing and welcoming environments that are increasingly designed to foster the guest's stay and well-being.

But what does the long-term future look like? An avatar-barista welcomes you to the coffee metaverse and introduces you to the latest micro-blends from new producing countries, due to global warming, such as Italy and Australia. After selecting a roast profile, you are asked to choose coffee purity and suggested to opt for a blend with a fiber supplement. You pay online-including the climate tax-and, voila, your coffee is delivered to you via drone.

This is not science fiction, but a plausible 2050 scenario. But already in 2025 we are witnessing the decline of low-cost “commodity” coffee, caused by the climate emergency, price dynamics and increasing premium demand. Developments that can be turned into new business opportunities: and the best way to do this is to participate in Host 2025, at Fiera Milano’ Rho fairgrounds from 17 to 21 October 2025, which has always been an international reference point for the entire supply chain with SIC - Salone Internazionale del Caffè.