The key to a profitable beverage program may rely on what manufacturer operators partner with.

From single-unit operators to heads of beverage solutions overseeing thousands of locations and programs, restaurants are experiencing increased interest in beverage programs. But consumer demand must be met at every turn. From natural ingredients to trends evolving overnight, operators are seeing larger returns on beverage programs than ever before. That demand is forcing operators to seek suppliers who are two steps ahead of trends. 

Operators have no control over trends, customization demands, and in many cases, ingredients, but they are held responsible for all of these by customers. While operators are often forced to be reactionary, there are many areas where operators can be proactive. Choosing the right suppliers and partners, for example, is key to success. Suppliers and partners to the industry are as varied as they are complex. This means operators need to either become experts in every field—an impossible expectation—or understand the key questions to ask of suppliers. 

Sunny Sky Products stands out for its team’s ability to provide end-to-end solutions. Whether it’s research and development to distribution equipment, or supply chain management, the Sunny Sky team has thought of it. 

“Sunny Sky Products has to be extremely agile and flexible because you could miss a trend by the blink of an eye,” says Stephanie Bell, quality control manager for Sunny Sky Products. That agility is made possible through supply chain management practices that ensure every ingredient has multiple sources. An added benefit of this is that Sunny Sky Products can provide key variations for any flavor profile a client needs.

“I don’t think operators understand all of the layers of beverage manufacturing,” Bell says. “For example, bringing in a new supplier, what does the supplier approval process look like? How do we vet different suppliers? How do we make sure we’re using the highest-quality ingredients? A pineapple juice supplier is not comparable across the board, so depending on the region that you’re pulling from and sourcing from, there are different flavor profiles.” 

When factors from crop variability and seasonality to distribution ratio and the amount of sugar solids in a formula can affect the end product, operators must be vigilant about beverage partners’ processes. That’s why Dennis Gordon, head of operations at Sunny Sky Products, says the best manufacturing partners, are the ones who make operators’ jobs easier from the start. Rather than simply supplying products, they help anticipate challenges, simplify execution, and build reliable systems that take pressure off busy teams.

“Aseptic manufacturing gives operators a high-quality product that doesn’t need refrigeration, doesn’t spoil quickly, and still tastes great,” Gordon says. “It’s reliable, it’s safe, and it just works.” For operators, that can mean fewer headaches with spoilage, flavor inconsistencies, or last-minute substitutions—especially when launching a beverage across hundreds or even thousands of locations.

Sunny Sky Products focuses on flexibility and customer collaboration, which means their team can help turn a trend into a fully developed beverage in just a few weeks. Whether it’s developing a custom cold brew, adjusting a flavor profile, or helping select the right packaging for an LTO, they’ve designed their process to move quickly without sacrificing consistency or quality.

The pressures on today’s beverage programs—from ingredient shortages and shifting flavor fads to space-crunched back rooms—aren’t likely to ease soon. Sunny Sky Products helps operators stay ahead with a carefully vetted supply chain, creative development processes that allow for agility, and manufacturing methods that protect both flavor and food safety. When those pieces come together, an LTO or a year-round cold-brew tap can launch quickly and pour consistently, whether it’s bound for a single drive-thru or a thousand-unit chain. 

“When operators know their supplier can handle the surprises—crop swings, shipping delays, the next big trend—they’re free to focus on the guest experience instead of the what-ifs,” Gordon says.

Written in partnership with QSR magazine.

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