Promotion ideas
Promotion ideas for coffee shops
A coffee shop sells small tickets many times a week. Promotions that work bring regulars back more often and turn one drink into a drink and a pastry.
The margin you are working with
Drinks usually carry a much better margin than food in a cafe, because the ingredients in a cup cost little compared with its price. Staff time and rent are the real costs.
That means a free upgrade or a second drink costs you far less than its menu price suggests. Check your own numbers per drink before choosing.
How deep to discount
A percentage off a small ticket means little to the customer: 10 percent off a coffee is a few coins. Concrete items, such as a free pastry or a larger size, feel bigger.
Keep offers away from your peak hour. A promotion that fills a quiet afternoon earns money; one that discounts the morning queue gives it away.
Prizes that cost little
A free size upgrade, a free pastry with a drink or half price on a second drink all cost little and bring a friend or a second visit.
Put the game on a QR code at the counter. A customer scans while waiting, wins, and staff mark the code used from a PIN-protected link.
The moments that matter
Weekly rhythm matters more than holidays: slow afternoons, Mondays and rainy days.
Exam periods near universities, the first cold weeks of autumn and seasonal drinks are good moments for a new offer.
Mistakes to avoid
Discounting the morning rush, when people buy anyway.
Loyalty cards that take months to fill. A game that sometimes rewards today gives a reason to come back this week.
- Free size upgrade
- Free pastry
- Second drink half price
- Free coffee
Suggested chance of winning: 40% of spins land on a prize. Make the most valuable prize the rarest.
Questions
- Should a coffee shop give percentage discounts?
- Usually not. On a small ticket a percentage is worth little. A free upgrade, a pastry or a second drink feels bigger and costs you less.
- What prizes work for a cafe?
- Size upgrades, a free pastry, half price on a second drink and, rarely, a free coffee. Most cost little because drinks carry a good margin.
- When should a coffee shop run promotions?
- In slow hours and on slow days, not during the morning rush, and at seasonal moments such as the first cold weeks or exam periods.
- Can a coffee shop run a prize wheel without a website?
- Yes. DealCraft gives each game a link and a QR code to print at the counter, and staff mark winning codes used from a PIN-protected link.
Run a prize wheel for your shop
DealCraft puts a prize wheel on your website or at your counter as a QR code. You choose the prizes, the chance of winning and a hard budget, and every winner gets a single-use code. The free plan gives you 200 plays a month and needs no card.
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