Hey all, first time posting, so hope you guys can help me out with this.
I'm opening a second shop in DC. I could afford a small space near the Metro. There's plenty of traffic, high visibility, I'm confident that my product will kill, but the space is SMALL (<500 sqft). I've seen this work in NY, places with high density population, but there's not many places around here that function solely as a high-end "coffee bar."
Like I said, there's plenty of commuting traffic - the folks that are taking the Metro - and I want to encourage people to come in and take a drink to work, rather than wait until they get to their destination and get their drink there. Metro doesn't allow food or drink. I've looked at many good travel mugs - klean kanteen being our top choice - that are leak-proof and insulated but also pretty pricey.
The issue is making sure that people feel that it's OK to get coffee in a reusable mug - that we'll probably have to retail for $20+. I want to emphasize the low impact, quality of the mugs. We've put out surveys and a lot of people have answered that they want to use reusable mugs but they forget.
Have you ever heard of people "renting" reusable mugs? Or storing people's cups for them? I feel like something like this kind of service plus deals when using the mug (free coffee a week/discounts). This way we emphasize community, low-impact, and have people never forget their cups and home.
I would appreciate your feedback!
javier
la mano coffee bar
modern times coffeehouse
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