Latest
/
Best Practices

Leveraging Fundraisers to Increase Coffee Shop Revenue

Coffee shops, known for their inviting atmosphere and delightful beverages, are cherished by patrons seeking a cozy retreat or a quick pick-me-up. However, even the liveliest coffee spots experience fluctuations in foot traffic and sales. Luckily, there's an innovative way to infuse energy into these quieter moments: partnering with local schools, university groups, and nonprofits to host fundraising initiatives. In this article, we'll explore the advantages of such collaborations and how they can not only drive revenue but also deepen your coffee shop's connections within the community.

Building Collaborative Relationships

Hosting fundraisers presents a mutually beneficial opportunity for both your coffee shop and the participating organizations. These partnerships foster a symbiotic relationship, with your establishment benefiting from increased sales and positive exposure, while the supported organizations receive essential financial aid and community backing. It goes beyond mere business transactions, nurturing authentic ties within the community.

Fundraisers draw a diverse crowd beyond your regular patrons. Friends, families, and supporters of the partnered organizations are likely to attend, not only to contribute to the cause but also to savor your coffee offerings. This provides an ideal opportunity to introduce your shop to new individuals who may become loyal customers. By engaging in these community-driven events, you're not just providing a service; you're showcasing your commitment to a worthy cause, all without incurring additional expenses.

Leveraging Local Outreach

Typically, fundraisers receive extensive promotion from the participating organizations within their local networks. This grassroots promotion expands your coffee shop's reach beyond traditional marketing efforts, at minimal cost. By collaborating closely with the organizers, you can amplify the reach and impact of these promotional efforts. Essentially, fundraisers serve as potent tools for grassroots marketing, generating positive buzz while solidifying your presence in the local community.

Hosting fundraisers signals your coffee shop's dedication to the local community, cultivating a positive image that can attract more patrons. Many consumers prefer businesses actively involved in local initiatives and are more inclined to choose your shop over competitors when aware of your community engagement. By participating in fundraisers, your coffee shop becomes an integral part of the community it serves, fostering goodwill, loyalty, and a dedicated customer base.

How to Make it Happen

Establish Terms: Discuss the fundraiser's terms, including donation percentage or fixed amount, along with the event's date, time, and special menu offerings.

Promote the Event: Collaborate with the organization to promote the fundraiser through both your shop's marketing channels and the organization's networks.

Create a Welcoming Environment: Ensure your coffee shop is welcoming and ready for the anticipated increase in customers on the fundraiser day, prioritizing efficient service and quality offerings.

Track Sales: Implement unique identifiers in your POS system to accurately track sales data from visitors and online orders.

Express Gratitude: After the event, express gratitude to the organization and community for their support, sharing the total amount raised and celebrating the success of the event.

Fundraisers offer a fantastic opportunity for coffee shops to boost revenue and deepen community connections. By hosting these events, you're not just supporting a cause but also attracting new customers and enhancing your shop's visibility during quieter periods. Plus, with the right Coffee Shop POS system, managing fundraisers seamlessly integrates into your operational workflow.

Discover our Coffee Shop POS Features and request a demo today!

Tap Room Playbook: Check Your Experience

Tap Room Playbook Episode 2: 

When you really think about it, with everything managers need to do in a tap room, the hospitality aspect is often overlooked.

Watch Now →
Tap Room Playbook: Kick A** Brands

Tap Room Playbook Episode 3: 

The best breweries pay attention to what their brand stands for. How do the best brewers bring their brand to life?

Watch Now →

Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.

The Situation

Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.

The Solution

Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience

Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.

“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.

The Benefits

Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.

Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.

Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

Request a Demo

Ready to experience GoTab for yourself? Sign up for a free demo and get qualified to receive a complimentary meal on us!
Request a Demo