Today's Dessert and Cafe Trends — 2026-04-23

Today's New Menu Highlights

Ediya Coffee — Triple Low-Sugar Latte & Triple Decaf Americano (PET)

• Category: Beverages (RTD/PET)
• Launch Date: April 23, 2026 (Permanent)
• Key Features: Available in 500mL PET bottles, this new lineup focuses on low-sugar and decaf options. It aims to expand the brand's PET coffee presence in convenience stores and supermarkets.
• Why it's notable: As demand for healthy RTD drinks spikes, Ediya is targeting health-conscious consumers with a channel diversification strategy that extends the brand beyond the cafe setting.

1 sources

edaily.co.kr

이디야커피, PET 커피 확대…저당·디카페인 시장 공략

Compose Coffee — All Day Com Series (e.g., Vanilla Cream Latte)

• Category: Beverages
• Launch Date: Recently launched (Over 350,000 cups sold in one week as of April 22)
• Key Features: The "All Day Com" series, led by the Vanilla Cream Latte, has been a massive hit. Following this success, they are bundling character-themed merchandise to enhance the customer experience.
• Why it's notable: This proves that even low-cost coffee franchises are successfully adopting "merchandise collaboration" strategies. The high volume shows that the craze for cream lattes is still going strong in 2026.

1 sources

betanews.net

컴포즈커피, 신메뉴 ‘바닐라 크림 라떼’ 등 일주일 만에 35만 잔 판매 돌파

Paris Baguette — "Cafe de Dessert" Specialized Stores

• Category: Bakery/Dessert (Store Concept)
• Launch Date: Opened in April 2026 (Reported by Food & Beverage News, April 22)
• Key Features: Paris Baguette has opened "Cafe de Dessert," a store concept inspired by Parisian vibes, focusing on a premium dessert lineup.
• Why it's notable: Large bakery chains are increasingly spinning off "specialty dessert" formats to cater to high-end consumer demands and compete with specialty cafes.

Franchise Trends

• Starbucks Korea: Hosting the "2026 Starbucks Day" at Incheon SSG Landers Field from May 1–3, featuring a collaboration with the SSG Landers. It’s a move to target sports and lifestyle fans through an experiential marketing space inside the stadium.

• A Twosome Place & Starbucks (Ube Trend): Ube-based desserts are popping up across the industry. Major brands like Knotted are also joining the trend, pushing purple, exotic-flavored products (Reported by ZDNet Korea, April 19).

• Compose Coffee: Expanding its footprint in "merch marketing" by leveraging its hit menu items to sell character-themed sets.

• Cafe In-Jung-Dok: Ranked in the top 3% of "Franchises to Join" based on Fair Trade Commission data (Live News report, April 22), highlighting the continued growth of mid-to-low-cost coffee brands.

Convenience Store & Bakery New Arrivals

• Ediya Coffee — Triple Low-Sugar Latte & Triple Decaf Americano (500mL PET): Launched April 23. Expanding the PET lineup with low-sugar and decaf options to target retail channels.

• Paris Baguette — "Cafe de Dessert" Specialty Stores: Premium dessert spaces with a Parisian concept, showcasing the latest move toward premium and specialized bakery formats.

Today's Trend Keywords

1. Ube: Desserts featuring this purple yam are being launched one after another by brands like A Twosome Place, Starbucks, and Knotted. Its exotic look and unique flavor are spreading rapidly among social media-savvy consumers.

2. Low-Sugar/Decaf RTD: As seen with Ediya's new PET line, health-focused coffee drinks are moving from cafes into convenience stores and supermarkets, solidifying their status as permanent staples rather than just passing trends.

3. Merch Collaborations: From Compose Coffee's character sets to Starbucks' Toy Story 5 collab (started April 15), brands are blending merchandise with menu purchases. Consumers are increasingly buying into the "experience and collection" aspect, not just the product.

Global Comparison

The "Dubai Chocolate" trend (pistachio cream + kadaif dough + chocolate) exploded globally after Starbucks US officially launched their "Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha" and "Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha" in January 2026. These drinks, topped with pistachio cream cold foam, sparked copycat menus in local cafes across the US. In Korea, we are seeing the same global keywords—pistachio, Ube, Dubai chocolate—arrive almost simultaneously, showing that the gap between global and local trends is nearly gone. The key differentiator in Korea remains the heavy emphasis on health-conscious elements like low-sugar and decaf options.

Events to Watch Next Week

• Starbucks Day @ SSG Landers Field (May 1–3): An experimental experiential marketing event combining live baseball and the cafe experience. Whether this expands to other stadiums remains to be seen.

• KIBA 2026 (Korea International Bakery Show) Follow-up: Following the event, new frozen doughs, smart equipment, and premium ingredients revealed at the show are expected to hit the market as B2B contracts are finalized. Look for new bakery menu items starting in May.

• 2026 Seoul Coffee Expo Analysis: Official performance reports and new product announcements from the 74,000-attendee event are expected to be released between late April and early May.

Action Items for Readers

• For Menu Planners: It’s time to develop signature lattes that combine Ube, low-sugar, and decaf. As seen with Ediya’s PET launch and Compose’s 350,000-cup success, the "Healthy + Trendy" combination is the biggest topic for the first half of 2026. Also, look into using convenient ingredients like the frozen doughs showcased at KIBA 2026 to lower production costs.

• For Cafe Owners: The barrier to entry for merch collaborations has lowered. Like Compose Coffee, consider collaborating with local artists or creating your own character-based small merch sets to generate Instagram buzz. Also, take inspiration from Starbucks’ baseball stadium popup and look for opportunities to set up at local festivals or sports events.