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**When Coffee Isn’t Enough, Or Is Too Much**

19h ago · 4 sources · trend

Starbucks kicked this off back in 2012 when it introduced Refreshers and basically commercialized the whole format. Fast forward and now everyone wants a sip of the not-quite-coffee moment.

Dunkin’ just rolled out summer refreshers like Black Cherry and Strawberry Dragonfruit Limeade. McDonald’s added Strawberry Watermelon and Mango Pineapple to its permanent menu. Bojangles teamed up with Celsius, owned by PepsiCo, for an exclusive Celsius Southern Sunrise. Panera, after lawsuits tied to its Charged Lemonades that reportedly led to two deaths, is taking a different tack. Its old drinks had up to 390 milligrams of caffeine. The new Energy Refreshers land at 42-44 milligrams. It also added two caffeine-free Frescas.

The broader backdrop matters. Search interest in coffee alternatives jumped +39.5% year over year. Matcha searches soared +154.5% to 1.8B in popularity, while coffee beverages still command 8.8B with +21.1% growth. Consumers are not quitting caffeine. They are recalibrating it.

CPG is following the signal. Pure Leaf, owned by PepsiCo, launched a functional sparkling line called Mental Focus with about ~70mg of caffeine plus L-theanine. Startup Neutonic raised $6M at a $60M valuation for similar caffeine and L-theanine drinks.

Why it matters: the caffeine arms race is cooling off. The new play is controlled energy. Not 390 milligrams bravado, but 42-44 milligrams you can drink at 3 p.m. Big QSRs are normalizing the middle ground. CPG brands that hit that sweet spot, with clarity on dosage and function, have a real shot at owning the next daily ritual.

Key facts

  • Starbucks introduced Starbucks Refreshers in 2012 and is credited with commercializing the refresher beverage format.
  • Dunkin’ recently unveiled a summer menu featuring several refresher flavors including Black Cherry and Strawberry Dragonfruit Limeade.
  • McDonald’s added several refreshers such as Strawberry Watermelon and Mango Pineapple to its permanent beverage menu.
  • Bojangles has an exclusive partnership with energy drink brand Celsius, which is owned by PepsiCo, to launch Celsius Southern Sunrise.
  • Panera introduced two caffeine-free Frescas and two caffeinated Energy Refreshers after prior lawsuits tied to its Charged Lemonades, which reportedly led to two deaths.
  • Panera’s previous Charged Lemonades contained up to 390 milligrams of caffeine, while the new energy refreshers contain 42 to 44 milligrams, according to USA Today.
  • Pure Leaf, owned by PepsiCo, launched its first functional sparkling line called Mental Focus with about 70 milligrams of caffeine and added L-theanine.
  • Neutonic raised $6 million at a $60 million valuation for its caffeine and L-theanine beverage products.
  • Search interest in coffee alternatives rose 39.5% year over year in 2025 compared to 2024, according to Spate data.
  • Matcha beverage searches increased 154.5% year over year with 1.8 billion popularity, while overall coffee beverages reached 8.8 billion popularity with 21.1% year over year growth, per Spate.
  • 2012
  • 390 milligrams
  • 42-44 milligrams
  • ~70mg
  • $6M
  • $60M
  • +39.5%
  • +154.5%

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