5THWAVE Podcast - Forward-thinking series examining the business of progressive coffee culture

25 November 2022 | 36 mins

Episode 51: The road ahead for drive-thru coffee

On the podcast today we're exploring the business case for drive-thru coffee and the potential for this highly-profitable format to expand across new market segments and geographies.

In conversation with Kevin Hydes, Chief Commercial Officer, Tim Hortons, UK&I, Brett Bolwell, CEO, Barista Technology, and coffee historian Amanda Whitt, we explore the historical rise of drive-thru coffee in the US, the gravitation towards convenience post-Covid, and the format's growing popularity in the UK, Australia and beyond.

Credits music: "The Great Outdoors" by Richard James aka HOLNE in collaboration with The Coffee Music Project

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Guests

Kevin Hydes

Chief Commercial Officer, Tim Hortons UK&I

Kevin Hydes is an experienced brand and commercial director with over 20 years experience in hospitality and is the Chief Commercial Officer for Tim Hortons UK and Ireland, a Canadian coffee and food chain with over 4,500 sites globally. In 2017 the brand launched in the UK, opening more than 65 UK restaurants in the last five years

Brett Bolwell

CEO, Barista Technology

Brett Bolwell has over 20 years experience in the coffee industry and is the CEO of coffee equipment companies Barista Technology and BaristaEquip, providing state of the art coffee technology and equipment advice to coffee businesses across Australia. Bolwell also heads the company behind automatic tamping tool Puqpress

Amanda Whitt

Coffee Historian

Amanda Whitt is a food and beverage professional based in the US and a coffee historian and researcher contributing to international coffee publications. Now a graduate history major at Hunter College, Whitt has spent much of their academic career researching the history of drive-thru in America, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest.