In a category dominated by fruity flavors, energy shot brand Cafecito stands out

21-Feb-2018 - Last updated on 21-Feb-2018 at 17:08 GMT

The aroma and flavor of coffee, to many people, is what one associates with energy and waking up. But not everyone wants a full cup of coffee, and even fewer people in the US have the time or equipment to make an espresso.

Cafecito started back in 2013 when its health conscious founder, Floridian Anthony Bustamante, wanted to create a product that can offer the convenience of an RTD coffee, but compete in the emerging energy shot set dominated by fruity flavors.

“He originally founded the company on the premise that, to-and-from work everyday, he loved coffee, but it wasn’t giving him the additional boost he was really needing,” DuWayne Watson, president of Cafecito, told NutraIngredients-USA. “He formulated Cafecito to have coffee and vitamins in it.”

Both the RTD coffee and energy drink spaces are experiencing a boom, according to consumer product market research firm Packaged Facts. Sports and energy drinks are a bigger market, expected to hit $32.7bn by 2021, compared to $18bn for RTD coffee.

Packaged Facts said the energy category “will remain among the fastest growing sectors of the beverage market,” with growth being boosted by the decline of soft drink consumption.

Growing distribution footprint: Coast-to-coast, and beyond

The company is targeting athletic consumers by enriching it with a blend of B vitamins, as well as convenience store shoppers on-the-go.

Each 2 fl oz bottle has a 1281 mg ‘energy blend’ containing caffeine, taurine, and Panax ginseng. It is flavored with natural and artificial flavors, and sweetened with the non-caloric sweetener erythritol.

To date, Cafecito is distributed in gas station stores and major chains like Walgreens and 7-Eleven in Florida, but Watson said that the company is prepping for wider distribution in the very near future.

“We will be in the bigger [grocery] chains…we were just accepted on Walmart.com,” Watson said. Through word-of-mouth and online presence, he added that distributors and retailers in Canada, South Asia, and Africa have reached out, and the supplement is prepping to expand globally.

“Somehow they had heard about us, and the only thing to overcome is government regulation—which won’t be difficult because it’s a very simple product,” he said.