Need better marketing for your small business? Add coffee.
For small businesses, it feels like no amount of marketing can ever be enough. More social posts, more reviews, more events! If you feel like you’ve tried every creative way to drive foot traffic through your doors, we’ve got an alternative solution for you: coffee.
Picture a trip to the book shop, the garden center, the car wash, the gym, or the hair salon. What would make each one just a little better? Coffee! Whether it’s a simple cart outside the door, a truck on the grounds, or a full cafe inside, coffee can provide a magnetic pull into your business. Not only does it elevate the experience of your existing customers, it brings in swaths of new ones.
In this article, we break down adding a coffee program to drive more customers into your existing business. Below, examples from our graduates demonstrate the power of coffee as a marketing tool.
Want to learn more benefits of a hybrid coffee business model? Read our full article.
Want to learn the ins and out of starting a coffee business? Sign up for our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class®.
Mothers House in Dallas, TX, is a tattoo shop with a cafe inside.
Coffee as a Marketing Tool for Your Small Business
Coffee as a marketing tool isn’t a groundbreaking strategy. Just think about how many times you’ve been lured to an event with the promise of coffee and refreshments. As a business model, though, the approach feels fresh. An on-site coffee shop gives your business an edge. It sets you apart from competitors with an extra offer, an elevated experience, or a way to grow and gather a community. Here are a few of the ways coffee fits into your marketing strategy:
- New products draw new markets. Readers love to wander into bookstores, but employees of neighboring businesses might start wandering in more often when they’re looking for a caffeine boost.
- Differentiation. There are many hair salons in the area, but yours is the only one that sells an iced matcha latte right in the chair.
- Elevated customer experience. Kids can have fun at any indoor trampoline park. But parents want to choose the one that offers seasonal cold brew, cozy seating, and wifi while their kids play.
- Increased sales opportunities. Let the plant-lovers strolling your garden center this spring spend an extra $10.00 on their trip when they pick up a latte and a croissant with their herb starts.
- Point of discovery. Everyone knows what coffee is, even if they aren’t aware that you also offer community resources, programs, or niche services. When people come to you for coffee, you have the chance to say, “Have you checked out our store next door?”
- Higher foot traffic (even during down times). Have a retail spot that’s only busy during tourist season? Or, do you spend your days waiting for the lunch rush? A coffee program gives you something to offer customers during slow times and seasons.
Add a a Low Cost Coffee Program: Start with a Cart or Truck
Some of our students come to us when they have the space and the budget to build out a full coffee program. Check out the owners of Talking Animals Books, for example, who are working on adding a full cafe to their second bookstore location.
If this seems out of reach for your business, budget and space don’t have to limit your ability to add a coffee program. You may not be able to build out a cafe in your location, but you could start with a coffee cart or truck. Below, we share tips for starting coffee carts, trucks, or other small footprint options. These same models work as powerful marketing tools for existing businesses. (And, you might be able to get them off the ground for less that what you’re paying annually for ads or events):
Texas Coffee School graduates at Lady Sunshine Coffee
Enhance These Businesses with a Coffee Program: Cafe, Truck, or Cart
It’s true that we believe nearly any business would be enhanced with a coffee program. But here’s a list we’ve curated of businesses especially benefit from this model:
- Independent book shops
- Garden centers and nurseries
- Barber shops, salons, and spas
- Wellness or aesthetics practices
- Fitness centers and gyms
- Non-profit organizations and churches
- Car wash and detailing centers
- Retailers
- Restaurants, bakeries, and bars
- Indoor play spaces for kids
- Mechanics and dealerships
Small Business Success Stories from Our Graduates
“How do you know this will work?” you ask. Because we’ve seen it in action. These businesses are case studies on the way coffee can be more than just a powerful marketing tool. It can be a revenue and profit driver. Here’s what it looks like in businesses from our graduates.
The Den
The Den is a community gathering space for Denver parents that offers programming, child-friendly co-working, and resources for parents. It also has a full coffee shop.
Owner Chandler Lipe shared in an interview with our team that many neighbors come into The Den without even knowing about programs for parents; they’re just there for coffee. Once inside, they see everything The Den has to offer. Together, these two seemingly separate businesses thrive in bringing in revenue and unique audiences.
More proof that it’s thriving both as a community space and a cafe: The Den is on its way to opening a second location.
Pop’s Coffee Co
Pop’s Garage Fabrication was once a repair shop for motorcycles in Roswell, Georgia, that occupied half of a 10,000 square foot building. When the business next door closed, owners Colin McDonald and Gordon Erickson didn’t want someone else to move in. Rather, they saw an opportunity to drive more people into their business. They decided to to turn the space into a coffee shop.
That was a very good idea. Pop’s Coffee Co took off so quickly they broke even their very first month of being in business! It drew so many new customers that the owners collaborated with Triumph to add a dealership to the business space.
Just a few years later, the immersive space for motorcycle and coffee enthusiasts has become home to a thriving community of riders.
Galindo’s Coffee
Galindo’s began as a barber shop, but owners Zak and Sophie Galindo had their eyes set on more. They moved Galindo’s Barber Shop into a larger location in Conroe, TX. Then, Sophie started Galindo Aesthetics. With business booming, was there a way to drive even more people into the area? A way to create a real community?
You guessed it: coffee.
The couple opened Galindo’s Coffee + Elixers next door. They serve customers who come in for a haircut or spa service, but they also welcome plenty of customers who just want to buy a great cup of coffee or cocktail. Now, with Galindo’s Bakery and Deli in the mix, Zak and Sophie are on their way to a hybrid-business empire.
Serenity Sips
Serenity Sips Bar and Wellness Emporium offers a mix of holistic wellness technologies. Clients can detox with the HOCATT, drain the lymphatic system on the Flowspresso, reduce stress on the V.I.B.E. bed, boost cell repair with the NanoVi Pro, or rejuvenate with red light therapy.
Most customers who enter Serenity Sips may not know about these modalities or their benefits, but they’re walking through the doors for the coffee. Once inside, they have the chance to learn all about the space, its philosophy, and its many services. Coffee may be the point of entry, but it’s only the beginning of the conversation.
Pop’s Coffee Co
Boost Your Business with Coffee at Texas Coffee School
Boost business, meet new customers, and increase foot traffic. Our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® teaches you everything you need to know to launch your secret-weapon marketing tool: your coffee business. Whether you’re adding a cart, opening a truck, or building out a cafe, follow our step-by-step program all the way to opening day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience in the coffee industry to add a coffee program as marketing for my small business?
Not at all. That’s exactly what Texas Coffee School is here for. Our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® is designed to take you from zero experience to opening day, covering everything from equipment and sourcing to operations and marketing.
How much does it cost to add a coffee program to my existing business?
It depends on the format you choose. A full café buildout requires the most investment in space and equipment, while a coffee cart or truck can be a much more budget-friendly entry point, sometimes costing less than what you’re already spending on paid advertising or other marketing programs annually. We help you explore options at every budget level.
How quickly can a coffee program start generating revenue?
Results vary, but our graduate Pop’s Coffee Co is a great example. They broke even in their very first month of business. Coffee is a high-demand product with strong repeat purchase behavior, which means your program can start producing returns relatively quickly.
Will a coffee program really bring in new customers, or will it just serve the ones I already have?
Both! Coffee attracts people who may have never heard of your core business, giving you a valuable point of discovery. At the same time, it deepens loyalty with your existing customers by elevating their experience every time they visit.
What types of small businesses benefit most from adding a coffee program as a marketing tool?
Almost any business with foot traffic can benefit, but some of the strongest fits include bookshops, salons, gyms, garden centers, wellness studios, car washes, and retail stores. Essentially, any place where customers spend time waiting or browsing is a great candidate.
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