Three Blue Ducks, Paddock Bakery, A1 Canteen and other cafés and restaurants across Australia, together with Single O, are engaging home coffee drinkers to help support businesses during COVID-19.
“The hospo downturn hit hard with the closure of non-essential services, but the smaller side of our business, our online shop, was going strong. We thought, ‘how can we help our café customers with this?’ And Kickback was born.” says Single O Co-founder Dion Cohen.
Kickback gives cafés and restaurants up to a 30 per cent ‘cut’ of the purchases its customers make from the Single O online store in the form of free coffee. Single O says those regulars get great coffee for home, get to know they are still supporting their local during the downturn, and get a 10 per cent discount too.
In its first month since launch, Kickback has seen more than 150 cafés and restaurants sign up, over 250 purchases made, and close to $2000 in coffee credits earned.
“We’re stoked our customers are getting behind things like this that can help. Our code KICKBACKDUCKS has earned us a good half a dozen kilos, which has so far gifted us around 500 cups of coffee we can serve,” Three Blue Ducks Co-Founder Chris Sorrell says.
Single O says the die-hard fans of Brisbane café Told You So have propelled their favourite haunt to top of the Kickback ‘leaderboard’.
“Told You So has always been about more than a cup of coffee. We wanted to be a local coffee shop where our community could come together and connect. This Kickback offer from Single O has blown us away,” says Anna, of the husband-wife owner duo behind Told You So.
“The community that we wanted to be there for has flipped around and are now being there for us. Our customers are beyond amazing and we are so thankful that they not only love our coffee so much but have shown us incredible support and kindness.”
Single O predicts that while Kickback will cost them upfront, it will introduce them to new home drinkers, who they continue to supporting via Instagram Live coffee training sessions, ‘O-Cademy’ Brew Guides, and new at-home coaching via Zoom.
“It’s also keeping their roaster wheels turning, and it’s a way to help their hospo community right now,” Dion says.
“It can give cafés a day or two’s coffee free, when they’re trying to open the doors and get back on their feet. Which is not going to be easy for even the best operators out there.”
For more information, visit shop.singleo.com.au