Yuanyin Machinery | From "Quenching Thirst" to "Pleasurable Taste": A Microscopic Observation on the Consumption Upgrade of Catering Beverages

Catering beverages are undergoing a structural upgrade of "classic carbonated drinks as the base + healthy juice and tea drinks as supplements", and health attributes have become an important trend in the consumption of accompanying meals. While retaining the demand for classic carbonated drinks such as cola and lemon soda, consumers are increasingly inclined to choose juice and tea drinks that can cut through grease and reduce oiliness while providing a perception of health, such as sour plum juice and iced black tea. Yuanyin's post-mix cola dispensers, with their ability to "cover both carbonated drinks and juice/tea drinks with one device", have become the core tool for small and medium-sized stores to lay out this upgrade at low cost.

1. Shift in the Underlying Logic of Demand: Healthy Juice and Tea Drinks Become a New Necessity

#### (1) Consumer demands shift from "single carbonated drinks" to "diverse choices"

According to the 2026 Insight Report on Consumption Trends of Non-Alcoholic Accompanying Beverages in China released by Hongcan Industry Research Institute (an authoritative industry public report), health attributes have become one of the core considerations for consumers when choosing accompanying beverages. In heavy-flavor scenarios such as hot pot, spicy hot pot and fried chicken, consumers are no longer satisfied with only classic carbonated options like cola, lemon soda and orange soda. They are more willing to try juice and tea drinks that are considered healthier to neutralize greasiness, a trend that is particularly evident among women and family customers.

#### (2) Healthy juice and tea drinks are a clear growth trend

The thirst-quenching effect of sour plum juice, the refreshing grease-cutting property of iced black tea, the elegant aftertaste of white peach oolong, and the sweet and sour appetizing taste of passion fruit juice form a distinct differentiated complement to classic carbonated drinks. Healthy juice and tea drinks are transforming from a "bonus item" to a "must-have item".

#### (3) Post-mix machines enable low-cost implementation of juice and tea drinks

Yuanyin provides more than ten standardized concentrated syrups, divided into two clear categories:

Classic carbonated category: Cola, lemon soda, orange soda

Healthy juice and tea category: Sour plum juice, iced black tea, white peach oolong, passion fruit juice

All syrups comply with national food safety standards. Stores only need to replace the syrup packs without additional procurement and storage burdens.

2. Upgrade of Supply Methods: Post-Mix Model is More Adaptable to Diverse Needs Than Bottled Drinks

#### (1) Bottled model struggles to balance carbonated drinks and juice/tea drinks

If a store wants to provide 3 types of carbonated drinks + 2 types of juice/tea drinks simultaneously, the bottled solution means managing inventory, shelf life and refrigeration space for 5 categories at the same time. The more flavors there are, the higher the storage costs and the risk of expiration losses, making it difficult for small and medium-sized stores to afford a comprehensive beverage layout. At the same time, the flavor update cycle of bottled beverages is long, making it difficult to quickly respond to changing consumer demands.

#### (2) Post-mix juice and tea drinks have outstanding experience advantages

Freshly mixed and freshly drunk: Post-mix juice and tea drinks are prepared on-site using concentrated syrups, avoiding taste changes and flavor loss caused by long-term transportation and storage of bottled beverages, resulting in a stronger perception of freshness.

Precise temperature control: Research published in the Journal of Sensory Studies by the Department of Food Science at Oregon State University confirms that 3-5℃ is the optimal drinking temperature for beverages. Yuanyin's Jianbo and Sharecool series both adopt 1-5℃ constant temperature compressor refrigeration to ensure that every cup of carbonated and juice/tea drink is in the optimal taste range.

#### (3) One device covers all categories of beverage needs

Taking the Jianbo L1-5F as an example, its five-valve head can flexibly combine the golden mix of 5 classic carbonated drinks + 2 healthy juice/tea drinks (such as cola + lemon soda + orange soda + sour plum juice + iced black tea), meeting the needs of different customer groups simultaneously. The device occupies only 0.27㎡, has a dispensing efficiency of 90-120 cups per hour, and customers can serve themselves without staff operation.

3. Upgrade of Consumer Psychology: Juice and Tea Drinks Become an Important Direction for Store Differentiation

#### (1) Juice and tea drinks significantly improve store favorability

The weight of health factors continues to rise when young consumers evaluate their dining experience. A hot pot restaurant that can provide a variety of healthy and grease-cutting post-mix juice and tea drinks in addition to regular carbonated drinks will make customers feel that "this store is very considerate" and "pays attention to quality", thereby greatly improving the overall impression score of the store.

#### (2) Juice and tea drinks effectively drive repurchase and word-of-mouth communication

Data from a large number of catering stores served by Yuanyin shows that after adding post-mix juice and tea drink categories, the average positive review rate related to beverages on Dianping has increased by more than 30%, and the repurchase rate has generally increased by 10%-15%. Many female customers and families with children will specifically revisit for the healthy beverages, and will spontaneously share on social media because of "many beverage choices and good experience".

#### (3) Full category coverage meets the needs of different customer groups

As of 2026, Yuanyin has served more than 10,000 stores nationwide, covering all formats including hot pot, spicy hot pot, fried chicken burgers, e-sports halls and self-service restaurants. Through the combination of "classic carbonated drinks as the base + healthy juice and tea drinks as supplements", stores can cover all customer groups including men, women and families, improving the overall average order value and passenger flow.

4. Extremely Low Upgrade Threshold: Small and Medium-Sized Stores Easily Enter the Juice and Tea Track

#### (1) Models are matched according to demand

The mainstream Jianbo L1-3F can combine the basic mix of 2 carbonated drinks + 1 juice/tea drink; the Jianbo L1-5F can achieve the golden mix of 3 carbonated drinks + 2 juice/tea drinks, meeting the peak beverage supply needs of most stores.

#### (2) One-stop service solves worries

Installation: Nationwide on-site installation, commissioning can be completed in as fast as 30 minutes, and it can be put into use on the same day.

Consumables: Nearby delivery from more than 18 provincial capital warehousing centers nationwide. Free gas exchange for 1 cylinder when ordering 4 or more cases of syrup, and logistics will pick up empty cylinders and deliver full ones to your door.

After-sales: 1-year official warranty for the whole machine, 3-year warranty for the core component compressor. Remote response within 30 minutes after repair request, on-site repair within 48 hours in urban areas.

Conclusion

From "quenching thirst" to "tasty and healthier", the essence of the consumption upgrade of catering beverages is the diversification and refinement of consumer demands. For catering operators, proactively adapting to this trend and adding healthy juice and tea drink categories while retaining classic carbonated drinks can not only improve customer experience but also create differentiated competitiveness. Yuanyin's post-mix cola dispensers help small and medium-sized stores achieve full category coverage of "carbonated drinks + juice/tea drinks" with an extremely low threshold, turning beverages from a "supporting role on the table" into a "core reason to retain customers".