United States Coffee Market Assessment, By Type, By Form, By Distribution Channel, By End-use, By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2018-2032F

United States coffee market is projected to witness a CAGR of 3.85% during the forecast period 2025-2032, growing from USD 28.28 billion in 2024 to USD 38.26 billion in 2032F. Several key factors drive the growth of the United States coffee market, primarily the increasing domestic consumption, increasing demand for specialty coffee, a shift towards premium quality and convenience, and the rise of coffee culture as a social and lifestyle trend with influence from major coffee chains.

The United States is the second largest coffee consumer in the world with estimates of 1413 metric tons of import in 2023-2024. According to national coffee association 67% of Americans consume coffee on a daily basis even surpassing the consumption of tap water. Specialty coffee consumption is reaching all-time high with 43 percent of coffee drinkers choosing specialty coffee in the past day. Cappuccinos and lattes are tied for America's most popular coffee beverage, followed closely by plain espresso and cafe mocha.

United States Coffee Imports Decides the Market's Future

The United States is the second largest coffee importer in the world, just after European Union, majority of it coming from countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam. Since the United States does not produce any substantial amount of coffee, the whole market depends primarily on these import figures. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the import value of year 2023-2024 was 23550 (Thousand-60 kg bags) and for 2024-2025(till January) it was 26050(Thousand-60 kg bags). Out of the total import of 2024-2025, green beans make the majority of the total with 22540 (Thousand-60 kg bags) followed by soluble with 900 (60 kg bags), and roast and ground with 600 (Thousand-60 kg bags).

Historically, more than 92 percent of the U.S. coffee imports have been of higher quality Arabica variety, which commands a premium relative to Robusta coffee. Both Brazil and Colombia are major global producers of Arabica-variety coffee beans, though import shares have declined in recent years. Lower yield due to draught in Brazil and fertilizer issue in Colombia in 2023 affected the price in the United States.

Rise in Demand for Specialty and Convenient Coffee Leads to Market Growth

There has been a growing preference for high quality specialty coffee, which provides new flavors and for which consumers are willing to pay higher prices. The busy lifestyle of consumers is pushing the demand for ready to drink coffee, single serve pods and instant coffee products therefore pushing the brands for innovation. Coffee culture, or to say cafe culture among younger generations, has transformed coffee from a mere beverage to a social phenomenon thus fueling the demand for specialty coffee.

For instance, Blue Bottle Coffee, which was acquired by Nestle in 2017, recently launched "Orleans Craft Instant Coffee Blend (NOLA)" with a focus on instant preparation, thus capitalizing on the growing market of cold coffee with convenience. The product was launched in July 2024, now NOLA range has become one of the most popular beverages sold in Blue Bottle coffee shops, with around 3 million sold annually in cafes across the United States and Asia.

Coffee Chains are Transforming the Market

Coffee chains are shaping the United States coffee market through various ways like influencing consumer behavior, the price dynamics and supply chain. Coffee chains such as Starbucks and Blue Bottle have normalized 'high-quality premium-priced' specialty coffee therefore raising consumer expectations and overall market value. Although companies like Starbucks, Dunkin and Peet's have increased accessibility with drive-throughs and app-based ordering they have made it harder for the independent coffee shops to compete. Some local independent cafes have started to use local roasted beans and unique brewing methods to differentiate themselves from large corporations.

As of 2023, Starbucks operated around 16,000 stores accounting for approximately 40% of the market share while Dunkin maintained around 9000 stores representing about 26% of the market share. Newer brands like Dutch Bros, which is currently operating at 900 stores are also emerging.

Future Market Scenario (2025 - 2032F)

The coffee market will continue to grow due to strong demand from domestic consumers and increasing cafe culture.

The market will grow strongly based on demand for environmentally friendly food preferences and unique flavors in coffee.

The demand for coffee will continue to expand further with the growth of e-commerce and institutional sales.

The demand for ready to drink and coffee pods will continue to increase due to a fast-paced lifestyle and priority for convenient products.

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

The coffee market in the United States is highly competitive, besides being constantly influenced by many factors such as import, climate and world trade. Some of the expanding factors for this market are developing health consciousness, environmental awareness with increasing cafe culture and expanding coffee chains.

In July 2023, Keurig Dr Pepper purchased a minority stake in La Colombe for USD 300 million. This enabled the company to sell and distribute La Colombe's ready-to-drink coffee and K-Cup pods - two of the fastest-growing market segments - in North America, expanding KDP's premium offerings at a fraction of the expenditure required to develop new products.