How Coffee Consumption Changed For Americans During The Pandemic

Nothing helps us make it through the day like a cup of coffee. According to Brew Smartly, 64 percent of us drink the black stuff on a daily basis and Americans end up drinking a total of 400 million cups of it every day. While it looks like we won't slow down our coffee consumption anytime soon, info shows that our habits around the beverage have started to change. According to WHBL, coffee's popularity fell noticeably during the pandemic, as only 58 percent of people surveyed consumed a coffee at least a day, prior to taking the most recent questionnaire. 

While less people seem to drink coffee, the overall consumed volume has increased over the past year. People continue to have their morning coffee, while afternoon trips to the cafe decreased by 4 percent. Experts speculate that business limitations that cafes have to follow account for the decline in numbers. Nevertheless, this peppy beverage remains America's number one drink for another year in a row, despite everything the pandemic could throw at it. While the number of coffee drinkers have fallen, home brewing has more than helped to make up the difference.

The numbers don't lie and cafes have seen some severe losses due to the pandemic. According to Nation's Restaurant News, Starbucks' same day sales fell by 40 percent in their third quarter last year, an extremely sharp plummet compared to previous profitable years. Americans have ended up consuming more coffee at home, thanks to this product making it into many virtual carts as we shopped for groceries online (via Food Navigator). Americans also took part in more coffee subscription boxes over the past year, helping bolster the beverage's overall numbers.

While we have to wait a bit longer to really enjoy coffee shops like we did in the old days, we can carry on confidently knowing that our favorite caffeinated beverage won't go anywhere anytime soon. When the mood strikes, feel free to support this beverage however you feel. Your impact can be felt across the entire industry and determines the ways in which coffee purveyors sell us this ultimate beverage for years to come. Shop smart, as your decisions might affect the way you enjoy your morning coffee.