Stefan Niederberger, Vice President Asia Pacific at Franke Coffee Systems As Southeast Asia’s coffee market enters a phase of rapid expansion driven by urban lifestyles, digital consumption habits and evolving…

Stefan Niederberger, Vice President Asia Pacific at Franke Coffee Systems

As Southeast Asia’s coffee market enters a phase of rapid expansion driven by urban lifestyles, digital consumption habits and evolving beverage preferences, professional coffee operators are under increasing pressure to deliver quality, speed and sustainability at scale. Against this backdrop, Franke Coffee Systems is strengthening its presence in the region with the launch of its New A Line and the opening of a regional showroom in Singapore.

In this interview with NUFFOOd Spectrum, Stefan Niederberger, Vice President Asia Pacific at Franke Coffee Systems, discusses why Southeast Asia is a strategic growth market, how innovations such as New FoamMaster, IndividualClean and HeatGuard are helping operators tackle labour, hygiene and energy challenges, and the role of digital connectivity through FrankeOS in enabling predictive maintenance and multi-site fleet management. He also shares insights on the growing demand for plant-based and customised beverages, the importance of regional collaboration, and the technology and sustainability trends set to shape professional coffee programs across Asia-Pacific over the next five years.

What makes the New A Line a strategic launch for Franke Coffee Systems in Southeast Asia, and how does this region differ in terms of operator needs and coffee consumption trends compared to Europe or North America?

The launch of the New A Line is a global strategic priority for Franke Coffee Systems, with the new A600 and A800 models delivering Swiss-engineered precision, consistent barista-quality output, intuitive digital controls, lower total cost of ownership, and strong sustainability credentials that resonate across markets.

Southeast Asia, however, presents a distinct opportunity. Coffee consumption is accelerating rapidly, driven by urbanization, a young and digitally engaged population, and rising demand for iced beverages, cold brew, ready‑to‑drink formats, and plant‑based options. The Asian consumers are more and more demanding in terms of choice and quality, and this is exactly what Franke offers, with high consistency and quality. Operators here typically manage high‑volume, fast‑paced environments and require machines that are reliable, easy to operate, and adaptable to diverse menus and varying staff skill levels.

In more mature markets such as Europe and North America, demand is often centered on premium specialty experiences and operational efficiency at scale. In these contexts, the New A Line delivers uncompromising consistency, speed, and quality

This intelligent adaptability makes the New A Line a versatile solution that empowers businesses across regions to meet evolving demands and deliver exceptional coffee.

Can you elaborate on how innovations such as New FoamMaster, IndividualClean, and HeatGuard address key operational challenges around labour efficiency, hygiene, and energy consumption for professional operators?

These innovations were developed specifically to solve every day’s operational challenges faced by professional operators.

New FoamMaster boosts labour efficiency by automatically delivering perfect hot or cold foam for dairy and plant-based milks with minimal training or intervention, ensuring consistent quality even in high-turnover settings without expert baristas.

IndividualClean improves hygiene and saves time with intelligent, usage-based cleaning that triggers targeted cycles only when necessary, cutting downtime, reducing detergent use, and maintaining top hygiene standards without rigid daily routines.

HeatGuard reduces energy loss by up to 44% (New A600 vs. classic A600NM machine) with its intelligent insulation technology. The system keeps the machine in a stable, ready-to-use state even after long idle periods, eliminating the need for constant reheating. This improves energy efficiency, protects the machine, and ensures consistently premium in-cup quality.

Together, these features deliver measurable efficiency gains, lower operating costs, and peace of mind. Thus, allowing operators to focus on service quality and business growth rather than machine management.

With growing demand for plant-based and customised beverages, how does the New A Line help operators expand menus while maintaining speed, consistency, and in-cup quality at scale?

The New A Line is specifically engineered to support the rapid growth in plant-based and personalized beverages, allowing operators to broaden their offerings efficiently.

The New FoamMaster produces consistent, high-quality hot or cold foam across dairy and plant-based milks, delivering professional results with minimal operator intervention and waste reduction.

IndividualMilk maintains fully separated milk pathways from container to cup, enabling immediate, contamination-free switching between dairy and non-dairy options to preserve flavor integrity and accommodate diverse preferences seamlessly.

With support for up to three grinders, two powder hoppers, and an optional Flavor Station offering up to six syrups, operators can create an extensive range of customized beverages such as classic espressos, flavored lattes, iced specialties, and plant-based innovations, and all from a single, compact system.

Technologies such as iQFlow™ for dynamic extraction control and PrecisionTemp for precise, beverage-specific temperature management ensure uniform quality and flavor across high volumes and varied recipes, even during peak service periods.

All of this is supported by FrankeOS, the new operating system with a highly intuitive UI that simplifies complex coffee menus into a self-guided experience for both self-serve and served operations, enabling easy handling of extensive customization.

In summary, these features enable operators to expand menus confidently, serve quickly and reliably, and uphold premium in-cup standards at scale, meeting the evolving expectations of today’s coffee consumers.

How important is digital connectivity through FrankeOS in supporting predictive maintenance, performance optimisation, and remote fleet management for multi-site operators in the region?

Digital connectivity via FrankeOS and FrankeConnect is essential for multi-site operators in Southeast Asia’s fast-growing coffee market.

Real‑time monitoring and usage analysis enable predictive maintenance, identifying issues early and significantly reducing unplanned downtime or on-site visits by technicians, ultimately minimizing environmental impact. Performance optimization is driven by detailed insights into beverage output, sales mix, and machine settings; allowing remote fine‑tuning for greater efficiency and consistency.

Remote fleet management also enables over‑the‑air updates to menus, recipes, pricing, and promotions, ensuring brand consistency across locations without requiring on‑site technician visits.

In short, FrankeOS helps operators scale faster, operate more reliably, and stay focused on growth, rather than day‑to‑day machine management.

The new Singapore showroom is positioned as a regional collaboration hub. How do you see this space accelerating partner training, customer adoption, and innovation across Southeast Asia?

Located at Tai Seng Exchange, the new Singapore showroom is designed as a regional experience and collaboration hub for distributors, partners, and customers across Southeast Asia.

Visitors can engage with Franke Coffee Systems’ full professional portfolio through live demonstrations, tailored consultations, and hands‑on training sessions. This allows partners and customers to experience firsthand how the Franke ecosystem supports different business models, operational challenges, and beverage programs.

The space is also intended to foster co‑creation, enabling faster feedback, deeper collaboration, and more meaningful innovation across the region.

Looking ahead, what major technology and sustainability trends do you believe will shape the future of professional coffee equipment and beverage programs in Asia-Pacific over the next five years?

Over the next five years in Asia-Pacific, professional coffee equipment will be increasingly defined by smart connectivity and uncompromising sustainability. These are trends the New A Line is already built to lead.

From a technology perspective, expect deeper integration of IoT, AI-driven analytics, and remote management for predictive maintenance, real-time optimisation, and highly personalised beverages at scale. The New A Line’s FrankeOS and FrankeConnect already deliver this today, enabling multi-site operators to monitor fleets remotely, fine-tune performance, and update recipes instantly, perfectly aligning with the region’s demand for efficient, high-volume, customised programs like plant-based and cold brew.

Our technologies allow for maximum choice (up to three grinders, two powder hoppers, six syrups, ice and cold drinks, and foam) all at the push of a button. It’s operationally friendly, fast and efficient. This is consistently achieved thanks to our iQ-Flow™ technology.

Sustainability will be equally critical. Operators will face growing regulatory pressure and consumer expectations around lower energy and water consumption, reduced waste, and responsible design. The New A Line‘s energy-efficient architecture with innovations such as HeatGuard and IndividualClean directly support these goals.

Together, these trends will define the future of professional coffee in Asia‑Pacific, where operators must scale rapidly while ensuring long‑term environmental and operational responsibility.