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You did it: After months or years of planning and hard work, you’ve managed to open your coffee shop. The next thing to do is to find some customers. One of the best ways to find new customers (and keep current ones coming back) is to create a cafe marketing plan.
Canada’s is home to over 8,000 coffee shops across the country as of 2025, so you will need to stand out from the competition with a strong marketing plan. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to succeed, as small but intentional tactics and consistent execution can make the biggest difference in the long term.
Marketing ideas for your cafe should be based on your specific market, your target consumer, and your business’s maturity. These guiding principles can inform your cafe marketing plan whether you’re just starting out or you’re a few years in and it’s time to fine-tune your marketing.
What is a cafe marketing strategy?
A cafe or coffee shop marketing strategy is your plan to attract new customers and turn existing ones into regulars — or, better yet, raving fans. Your coffee shop marketing strategy should be built on what makes your brand unique, whether you offer unique latte creations, import premium matcha from Japan or serve customers in a hip setting that turns into a cocktail bar in the evening. It should promote your business on various online and offline channels with intention. And it should include ways to engage your community and foster loyalty.
11 marketing ideas for your coffee shop
A strong cafe marketing plan isn’t just a list of ideas. It should be a high-level roadmap, and the tactics you implement should move the needle on business goals like increasing sales or improving customer retention. That said, going through a list of marketing ideas for a cafe can give you aha moments that inform your overall strategy. Here are 11 effective coffee shop marketing ideas to inspire you.
1. Capitalize on your cafe’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is what makes your coffee shop stand out and what makes customers choose you instead of the competition. It can look like a specialty drink or product line, or a focus on sustainability. For example, British Columbia-based Forecast Coffee specializes in certified organic and ethically sourced coffee beans, which are roasted weekly.
Your USP can also be ambiance-focused, like being a dog-friendly cafe, a coffee shop with regular community events or a zen, minimalist laptop-friendly space. Get clear on what your USP is so you can show it off in your marketing.
2. Establish an online presence
These days, having an online presence is crucial for small businesses like cafes. According to Statista, seven in 10 Canadians use smartphones to access the internet, so a mobile-friendly website is a must.
Building one doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive thanks to tools like Square Online, which lets you launch a professional, personalized website in minutes — even if you’re not the most tech-savvy person. And, since it’s connected to your point-of-sale (POS), you can easily sell products like branded merchandise or coffee beans on your website, or offer online ordering. Make sure that your site includes your hours, locations and menu. Include links to your social media accounts so customers can check out your posts and follow you.
“I put our swag and gift cards up for sale on our [Square Online] site, and then announced on social media that people could purchase stuff online. And we got our first order within three minutes of being live! Now, we sell food and drinks online, and I can’t believe we didn’t do this before,” Laura Draeger, co-owner of Dilly Dally Coffee Cafe in Halifax, Nova Scotia, told Square.
3. Leverage local SEO
Tourists and locals alike tend to discover coffee shops by typing “coffee shops near me” on Google. Create and optimize a Google Business Profile to come up high in search results when they do so. You’ll need to add photos of your business and products (pick eye-grabbing ones!) and keep your business hours updated. You can sync your Google Business Profile with Square to manage everything from your Square Dashboard, like when you want to update your hours for a holiday.
The more five-star reviews you have, the better for your visibility in local search results, so delivering an outstanding customer experience in-person can also help you online. Besides Google, make sure to set up accounts on any local directory listings, such as Yelp or Yellow Pages.
4. Develop an offline marketing strategy
Your cafe marketing plan can also include offline efforts, as coffee shops tend to be neighbourhood hubs where people can gather for various occasions. Consider partnering up with other local sellers in your area, like an art gallery. Maybe you hang art for sale in your cafe, which keeps a rotation of fresh art on your walls, or maybe you sponsor an artist’s launch at the gallery by providing espresso martinis, which puts your brand in front of a new crowd.
Caffeina Espresso Bar in Peterborough, Ontario, sponsors locals events and runs cross-promotions with the local cycling club to increase its visibility on social media and put its products in front of different audiences.
Holidays like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day are also great opportunities to host special events, like a festive brunch with an exclusive menu. The possibilities are endless, so get to know the other businesses in your neighbourhood and get creative with special occasions.
5. Launch email marketing and SMS marketing campaigns
According to the Square Future of Commerce 2025 report, 65% of Canadians like businesses to communicate with them by email and 39% appreciate text message updates.
These channels can help you build relationships with customers beyond the interaction you have during their morning coffee order. The first step is growing your email/SMS list, which you can do in person at checkout right from your Square POS. Staff members can casually ask customers whether they want to receive updates from your cafe and guide them to enter their details on a sign-up screen.
You can also put up a sign with a QR code that people can scan to join your list. Make it visible on your countertop and offer a small incentive for joining, like a 10% discount or free coffee.
Whether you use a QR code, a sign-up screen at checkout or a website form, Square Marketing helps you grow your list on autopilot by automatically creating profiles and adding contact information to your customer directory. You can then create personalized, targeted marketing campaigns that encourage customers to return.
For example, you can schedule automated emails on customers’ birthdays with an offer of a beverage of their choice on the house. You can also invite them to special events or send out personalized promotions to members of your loyalty program (more on that below). And you can set up automatic email campaigns to collect Google reviews after customers make a purchase.
6. Grow strong on social media
Your cafe marketing plan will be unique to your business, but it should definitely include social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. According to Nordicity, 83% of Canadian SMBs use TikTok for brand awareness and marketing with the platform boosting sales by $950 million in 2024. Meanwhile, nearly half of Canadian SMBs surveyed by Ipsos agree that Instagram is the best way to reach customers on mobile, and three in five say it helps them connect with customers in their cities.
Leverage visual storytelling to grow on both platforms, from sharing behind-the-scenes content of your baristas in action to showcasing your signature drinks or spotlighting staff members. Use local hashtags to make your posts more visible to people in your area.
Some other social media marketing ideas for a cafe include creating contests with branded hashtags (just make sure to review each platform’s terms and conditions for running contests) and collaborating with local influencers to get your brand out there.
7. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC) and customer reviews
Instagram and TikTok are also great for tapping into the power of user-generated content (UGC), which refers to anytime a customer posts something about your business online, whether that’s a review or a photo of a pastry. UGC doesn’t need to happen by chance — you can encourage customers to create and share content featuring your business. For example, set up design elements that make people want to take pictures and post them, like an eye-grabbing quote on the wall. Add your social media handles or branded hashtag on signage to encourage people to tag you. Hosting themed events like a jazz and coffee night is another way to generate both buzz and content.
There are different ways to make the most of UGC once content is out there. For example, you can repost customer photos on social media, which has a few benefits. It gives you new content to feature, it makes your customers feel special and connected to your brand — and they might reshare the content too, which expands your reach. It also gives your business credibility, as it showcases that real people are enjoying your brand and products. This is called social proof, a concept that you can also leverage by featuring positive reviews on your website and social media.
Actively managing and responding to reviews on your Google Business Profile and platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor is another way to build trust by showing that your business cares about its community. Plus, if there’s ever a less-than-stellar review, it gives you a chance to address it and mitigate its negative impact.
Finally, even your menu can be created with UGC in mind. Some cafes focus on drinks and snacks that are likely to get shared online, such as colourful lattes or treats inspired by viral trends, like the Dubai chocolate bar, which features a milk chocolate shell filled with a pistachio-tahini cream and crispy phyllo pastry called knafeh.
8. Create a customer loyalty program
Over 80% of Canadian consumers are very or somewhat likely to engage with a loyalty program, while 82% of restaurant leaders say their loyalty program is successful in driving up repeat visits and 83% say it boosts order size, according to the Square Future of Restaurants 2025 report.
Whether you offer customers perks like a free coffee after their fifth visit, launch a VIP membership featuring exclusive discounts based on points or create a program to incentivize referrals, a customer loyalty program can be a smart marketing move. Square Loyalty is easy to use for both your team and customers, as people just need to provide a phone number to sign up and earn or redeem rewards, regardless of how they pay. There’s no need to deal with loyalty cards or manually track anything. You can also customize your loyalty program depending on how you want to reward repeat visits.
“When we switched to Square, our customers certainly noticed. We received a lot of positive feedback that the checkout process was easier. They like our loyalty program and how easy it is for them to input their information into the Square Stand, and then get a text message or an email about their rewards,” Jim Salusbury, owner of BC-based Forecast Coffee, told Square.
9. Reach out to your local community
Your local community is probably filled with unique and fun opportunities to market your cafe, such as hosting live music concerts or open-mic nights, inviting customers to experience a latte art workshop or becoming the go-to spot for a book club. You can collaborate with local artists or farmers to have a mini retail section in your cafe, where customers can linger and purchase handmade products like ceramic mugs or specialty jams. It gives character to your space and encourages customers to stay longer and come back. Lastly, why not get involved with community initiatives that align with your brand values like Dilly Dally Coffee Cafe?
“I’m the vice chair of the Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, and we’re made up of over 150 businesses dedicated to improving and beautifying the area (like with the Halifax Mural Festival) and getting more feet on the street,” says Laura Draeger, co-owner of Dilly Dally Coffee Cafe. “I’ve been involved with the association for six years, and it’s a cause very close to my heart.”
10. Craft seasonal promotions
Fall is synonymous with pumpkin spice, the holidays are the perfect occasion to savour a gingerbread latte or a hot cocoa and summer calls for refreshing iced drinks. Use seasonality to your advantage by coming up with seasonal promotions built around limited-time beverages. You can go with classics or come up with your own flavours.
Nearly half of consumers surveyed in the Square Future of Restaurants 2025 report say they expect the establishments they visit to add or keep value offerings in the next year. Promotional ideas like coffee happy hours or bundle discounts when you buy a coffee and a pastry can cater to these expectations and keep customers coming back.
11. Establish local partnerships
Are there flower shops, gyms, bakeries, bookstores or coworking spaces nearby? Maybe there’s a home decor store or a local running club that meets at the park next to your coffee shop. Find businesses that complement yours in terms of customer base and brand values, and approach them with a simple promotion idea to get started, like offering each other’s customers an exclusive deal. Have regular check-ins about the success of your collaboration and test different approaches, as the best partnerships are nurtured over time.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box if a business resonates with you. For example, Geoff Polci, owner and founder of independent coffee roasting company Stereo Coffee Roasters, partnered with the Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park to create a coffee blend inspired by Naturism. “All of the espresso drinks at [the park’s on-site restaurant] Bare Bistro are made with Bare Blend, and the coffee is available for sale at the Bare Boutique,” Polci told Square. “It’s been a great collaboration. There are opportunities everywhere — you just need to look out for them.”
Measure your cafe marketing plan
The 11 ideas outlined above should provide a solid foundation to brainstorm and come up with a cafe marketing plan to grow your business. But you can’t improve what you don’t measure, so it’s important to set goals and metrics to define success. How will you know that your coffee shop marketing strategy is working? For example, will you take a look at your sales numbers, foot traffic, online engagement or all three?
A marketing strategy isn’t a one-and-done effort. It will take trial and error to figure out which tactics work best for you, and it’s smart to optimize your strategy based on data and real customer behaviour or feedback.
Let’s say that your blue Spirulina latte goes viral on Instagram — a pleasant surprise. Now you can intentionally post more about it and create a video featuring the behind-the-scenes making of your star product. Or maybe you notice that online reviewers keep raving about the staff of your cafe. You may decide to feature your team on TikTok to let their personality shine in a fun way.
There are different tools to help you gather actionable data, and Square Dashboard gives you a central hub where you can get a quick snapshot of sales and marketing performance and trends. It integrates with Google Analytics for your Square Online site so you can see how many people visited your website after an influencer collaboration. It also pulls Square Marketing data to help you assess the performance of your email campaigns, like checking how many people opened your email or clicked on your call-to-action (CTA) button.
For example, if you notice that a particular email subject line was a hit, you can try to replicate it in your next newsletter. Or if you spot that a two-for-one promotion on coffee beans got people to click through to your website and buy coffee, you can run it again.
As you try different things, you’ll learn what makes the most sense for your own customer base and what has the most impact on your business numbers.
Cafe marketing idea FAQs
How do I attract people to my cafe?
To attract people to your cafe, you need a strong cafe marketing plan based on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which is what makes your cafe stand out in comparison to competitors. It should prioritize both online and offline tactics to expand your reach, from leveraging social media platforms like TikTok to optimizing your Google Business Profile and partnering with local businesses.
How do I market my cafe online?
To market your coffee online, start with a professional, mobile-friendly website. Square Online lets you easily and quickly launch a customizable, branded website for your cafe, which includes the ability to sell retail items like coffee beans and allows for online orders.
Make sure you have a Google Business Profile and profiles on other directories, such as Yelp and TripAdvisor, as reviews are crucial to attract customers.
Build your social media presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok through visual storytelling, user-generated content and influencer collaborations.
Finally, don’t forget to grow your email list to deepen relationships with your customers through a tool like Square Marketing.
Should I invest in paid ads for my cafe?
Investing in paid ads for your cafe is a decision that depends on your unique situation. Keep in mind that the average operating margin for Canadian food services and drinking places is 3.6%, according to Statistics Canada, which means that making smart strategic strategic budgeting decisions is crucial to protect your profits. Before you invest in ads that cut into your margins, make sure that you’ve covered your organic marketing bases.
Organic marketing is all about expanding your reach through unpaid, free approaches that showcase your cafe and build trust with customers. It can include cafe marketing ideas like growing your followers on Instagram and TikTok, leveraging user-generated content (UGC) and reviews, tapping into the power of local SEO through a strong Google Business Profile, creating a loyalty program, hosting community events or running seasonal promotions.
Why are reviews critical for my cafe?
Online reviews are critical for a cafe because they bolster your business in local Google search results, making it easier for customers looking for a coffee shop near them to find you. Customers also look at reviews to decide whether to visit a cafe. Besides delivering an outstanding customer experience, you can encourage customers to leave reviews after purchases with an automated email campaign run through Square Marketing.
How do I measure my cafe marketing campaigns?
There are different ways to measure cafe marketing campaigns based on your business goals and the channels you use in your strategy. You can look at overall sales trends from online promotions and track foot traffic, which gives you an idea of whether in-person visits are increasing in response to your marketing efforts.
Looking at repeat visits on your website or through your loyalty program analytics can give you an idea of whether you’re doing a good job retaining customers.
Diving into social media engagement data can inform your content strategy, and understanding email campaign metrics like open and click-through rates help you master your messaging.
Finally, don’t forget online reviews, which are a source of qualitative feedback that you can use to improve the customer experience and ultimately drive more sales.
How do I retain loyal customers?
To improve customer retention and establish brand loyalty, you need to stay connected with the people who frequent your coffee shop. Customer engagement software like Square Marketing enables you to increase customer satisfaction and retention with the following features:
- Email marketing: Make an announcement, share an upcoming event or reward your customers with coupons and other incentives. Targeted email campaigns like these allow you to send custom emails to a specific audience.
- Customer feedback: Give customers a private channel to respond to their service while visiting your coffee shop. With customer feedback, you can build deeper relationships with your customers.
- Customer loyalty program: Incentivize your customers with free drinks and treats so they return and buy your products.
