Korean-inspired beverages are emerging as one of the fastest-growing categories on North American foodservice menus, driven by a younger consumers who are seeking constant novelty and experience.
The finding comes from the 2026 Emerging Beverage Trends in Foodservice report, produced by Toronto-based insights company Leo and Dragon using MenuData.
Joseph Chen founder and CEO of Leo & Dragon told Beverage Daily that social media and the growing influence of K-pop culture are influences that will drive the new café culture moving forward globally.
K-Café drinks are built around customisation with customers choosing their base, topper, and additional items.
The drinks, which are described as “experiential”, boast signature items such as hot drinks Hojicha Latte, Black Sesame Latte and Sweet Potato Latte with cold drinks such as Strawberry Milk and Cloud Foam Coffee.
According to the report the “relentless” focus on presentation and experiential design of the Korean inspired drinks have successfully captured the attention of international consumers and is actively reshaping menu strategy at major Western chains.
“From our perspective, the Korean Cafe trend will be spreading globally as the demand and viewership side are already global. The social content driving K-Café travels on TikTok and YouTube, so audiences globally are already becoming aware of K-Cafe creations and are engaging with the content,” said Chen.
“In terms of actual retail catching up locally we think that comes down to how established Korean pop culture already is in a given market. Places like the UK, Canada and Australia, where Korean food and beauty have already gone mainstream, and have strong cafe culture are well positioned to follow quickly once US chains prove the format out commercially.”
He added: “We believe that markets without that particular groundwork will likely see it arrive more slowly, and probably through global chains adapting the format through Limited Time Offers in Food Service.”
