United Food Group, Inc. (UFG), the Elgin, Illinois-based manufacturer of specialty dry-powder beverage mixes and dispensing equipment, is pushing an accelerated equipment expansion through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, aiming to deepen its footprint across U.S. and international foodservice, convenience store, and office coffee channels.
The strategic core of UFG's growth plan is replacing conventional bag-in-box liquid coffee and cream dispensing systems with shelf-stable soluble products engineered for a two-year shelf life. Bryan Real, President of United Food Group, argues the conversion yields measurable operating benefits for commercial customers. "This approach can help customers reduce product, storage, freight, and waste-related to conventional equipment expenses—potentially saving them thousands of dollars each year," Real said. The economics are straightforward for operators managing refrigeration overhead and spoilage risk tied to liquid dairy-based creamers and ready-to-use coffee concentrates.
Equipment Capabilities
UFG's newest dispenser supports up to 24 beverage selections—cappuccinos, lattes, brewed-style coffee, hot chocolate, and cream—along with an integrated sugar and sweetener dispenser. The platform is designed for rapid menu reconfiguration: operators can convert a liquid-cream dispenser into a cappuccino and hot-cocoa machine by swapping dry-powder products and updating digital flavor labels and product videos, a change Real says takes minutes. That flexibility matters in high-throughput environments like convenience stores and office coffee programs, where SKU variety and speed of service drive customer satisfaction. Bob Long, Head of Engineering for UFG, noted the focus on "dependable, high-quality components" combined with digital technology and graphic-customization capabilities suited to demanding commercial environments.
The dry-powder format underpinning the equipment platform spans UFG's core ingredient categories: instant cappuccinos, micro-ground coffee, flavored creamers, cocoas, and sweeteners. From a supply-chain standpoint, soluble and powder-format beverage products offer meaningful advantages over liquid systems—reduced cold-chain dependency, lower bulk density freight costs, and simplified warehouse management. For co-manufacturers and contract manufacturing partners supplying institutional beverage programs, the shift toward shelf-stable powder inputs also simplifies specification sheet and COA management across distribution networks.
Dr. Coffee Partnership
UFG has broadened its hardware portfolio through a relationship with Dr. Coffee, a global commercial bean-to-cup equipment manufacturer, adding whole-bean grinding capability alongside its existing soluble-product dispensers. The partnership gives UFG access to a different segment of the commercial coffee market—operators who prioritize fresh-ground output but may still layer in dry-powder creamers, sweeteners, or flavored additions through UFG's proprietary dispensing systems.
Doug Shea, Vice President of Business Development for UFG, described the go-to-market as a three-way alignment of products, equipment, and service: "Our strategy is to work more closely with customers, distributors, and national and regional coffee brands to bring together outstanding beverage products, innovative equipment, and dependable service." The Perfect Servings® branded platform is positioned as the consumer-facing identity within that structure, targeting multiple trade classes.
The expansion reflects a broader shift across the beverage ingredients and dispensing category toward integrated powder-based systems that reduce cold-chain complexity while maintaining menu flexibility. Operators evaluating total cost of ownership against traditional liquid dispensing programs are increasingly weighing shelf-life extension, freight simplification, and equipment versatility—factors where UFG's platform claims a structural advantage. For ingredient suppliers and contract manufacturers serving the foodservice segment, the growth of high-capacity powder-dispenser formats opens parallel opportunities in custom dry-blend formulation and private-label program development.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
