Go Green: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at Your Coffee House

The National Restaurant Association estimates that 25 percent of Americans visit a restaurant or bar to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Here are some ideas to ensure that your coffee shop gets its fair share of visitors… and that staff and customers alike enjoy the day.

1. Do your research. Find out how your community is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and look for tie-in opportunities. By sponsoring a parade float or festival booth or by handing out fliers, coupons or foil-wrapped chocolates with your logo at these events, you are reminding revelers to stop in at your place when the show is over.

2. Get festive! Decorate with touches of green. Have your staff wear green, or add green accents such as Leprechaun caps to their usual uniforms.

3. Play traditional Irish music in your shop.

4. Serve Irish Creme flavored coffee, and accent espresso-based drinks with green whipped cream and sprinkles.

5. Serve bagels with green cream cheese and sugar cookies cut out in the shape of four-leaf clovers with green icing or sprinkles.

6. Give out gold-wrapped coin chocolates or clover-shaped chocolates wrapped in green foil with each drink.

7. Run a “Save Some Green” promotion, where every customer wearing green receives a 10% discount.

8. Hold a “Go Green” contest. Take pictures of customers in their green outfits and post them on a display wall. Choose a winner who receives a month’s worth of free coffee. You can also post pictures on your website or Facebook page.

9. Ask St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions on Facebook and Twitter, offering a free drink to the person who gives the first correct answer to each question.

10. If your coffee shop serves lunch or dinner, add traditional Irish dishes such as Irish stew, soda bread, corned beef and cabbage to the menu.

11. Continue your celebration to the day after St. Patrick’s Day, when coffee consumption may increase as party-goers deal with hangovers.

Through our 7 Steps to Coffee Startup Success program, Crimson Cup offers everything you need to profitably run and promote your coffee shop during St. Patrick’s Day and throughout the year. To learn more, fill out this form or call 888-800-9224 to speak with a Crimson Cup consultant.