Taking pleasure in distinction: Unlocking specialty coffee preference

Ondrej Mitas, Breda University of Applied SciencesFollow
Danny D. Han, Zuyd University of Applied SciencesFollow
Belle Struijer, Breda University of Applied SciencesFollow
Lotte Willems, Breda University of Applied SciencesFollow
Thomas H. Chatwick, Chatwick Coffee RoastersFollow

Abstract

Specialty coffee, comprising a tenth of the global coffee trade, is distinguished by its strict quality requirements and traceable origins. The diverse flavor profiles of specialty coffee raise demands on providers to serve individual taste preferences. Prior research has not sufficiently explored how to predict customer preferences for specific flavor profiles or how these preferences influence behavioral intentions such as revisiting or recommending a café. This study hypothesized that customer involvement, the extrinsic factors of coffee experience, and culinary risk-taking would predict flavor preference, which would in turn affect behavioral intentions. In an experiment involving 47 participants, individuals tasted and evaluated two espresso flavor profiles in a counterbalanced order. Results showed that taking pleasure in buying coffee, an aspect of involvement, significantly predicted preference for a distinctly acidic single-origin flavor profile over a more conventional blend. However, factors such as interest in involvement, sensory and service quality aspects of the café experience, and culinary risk-taking in coffee consumption were not significant predictors of coffee preference. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between coffee preference and the intention to revisit or recommend the establishment, though individual evaluations of each coffee were predictive of these behavioral intentions. These results refine the existing theory linking specialty coffee consumption and consumer behavior, particularly highlighting the role of acidity in flavor preferences. They also confirm the link between the sensory experience of tasting specialty coffee and subsequent behavioral intentions, applicable across diverse flavor profiles.

Keywords

specialty coffee, taste preference, involvement, customer experience, behavioral intentions

Chinese Abstract

以与众不同为乐:释放对特定咖啡的喜爱

特种咖啡占全球咖啡贸易的十分之一，并以其严格的质量标准和可追溯的原产地而闻名。精品咖啡的多样化特征提高了供货商满足个人口味偏好的要求。先前的研究并未充分研究如何预测消费者对特定口味的偏好,以及这些偏好如何影响消费者对咖啡馆再次光顾或推荐等的行为意向。本研究认为,顾客参与度、咖啡体验的外部因素和烹饪风险皆会影响口味偏好,从而影响行为意向。在一项实验中,有 47 名参与者按照平衡顺序品尝和评价两种意式浓缩咖啡口味。结果表明，作为参与的一部分，购买咖啡时的愉悦感体现了消费者更喜欢酸度明显的单一产地咖啡,而不是更传统的混合咖啡。然而,顾客的参与兴趣、咖啡馆体验的感官和服务质量以及咖啡消费中的烹饪风险等因素对咖啡偏好的预测作用并不明显。此外,咖啡偏好与再次光顾或推荐咖啡馆的意愿之间也没有明显的关系,反而每种咖啡的个人评价却能预测这些行为意愿。这些结果完善了将特种咖啡与消费者行为联系起来的现有理论,特别强调了酸度在口味偏好中的作用。此外,这些发现证实了品尝特定咖啡的感官体验与行为意向之间的联系,这种联系适用于各种不同的风味。

特色咖啡、口味喜愛、参与、顾客体验、行为意向

ORCID Identifiers

Ondrej Mitas: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7916-0511

Danny D. Han: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7839-6760

Belle Struijer: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7218-6174

Lotte Willems: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1756-5793

Thomas H. Chatwick: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4200-2054

DOI

10.5038/2640-6489.9.1.1279

Recommended Citation

Mitas, O., Han, D. D., Struijer, B., Willems, L., & Chatwick, T. H. (2024). Taking pleasure in distinction: Unlocking specialty coffee preference. Journal of Global Business Insights, 9(1), 77-98. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/2640-6489.9.1.1279