The battle for bums on seats (and cups in hands) has never been fiercer. Good coffee is a given. Now it’s the extra buzz, those little moments of surprise and delight, that gets people through your door and posting about it online.

Here are six fresh marketing ideas we’ve spotted in 2025 among the cafés we partner with at Seven Miles.

1. Seasonal Signature Drinks

Our 2025 report, What Café Customers Want, confirmed what TikTok already knew: younger coffee lovers are treating themselves more than ever. Limited-time drinks packed with colour, texture and unexpected flavour combos scratch that itch...and command a higher margin.

  • Creates urgency: FOMO fuels sales.
  • Social catnip: The more photogenic the drink, the more free publicity you score.
  • Easy upsell: A $6 flat white becomes a $9 “Cloud Coffee” topped with velvety vanilla foam.

Example: Brewtopia in Sydney are known for fun, creative flavours featuring Coffee & Matcha.

Brewtopia Instagram post showing specialty iced coffee drink

Examples to copy

  • Colourful cold foams, drizzles and crumb toppings turn an ordinary latte into thumb-stopping art.
  • Beyond the Insta-favourite matcha, turmeric or beetroot lattes, try coffee-friendly twists like pistachio, burnt-orange or Biscoff.
  • Rotate a weekly “secret menu” flavour to spark FOMO and keep regulars guessing.

2. Turn Brunch into a Day Rave

Brunch is the new nightclub, and nobody has to cab home at 3 am.

Venues like Brisbane’s Mary Mae’s hire DJs to spin feel-good house tracks while the sun’s still climbing. The vibe is high-energy but alcohol-free, meaning families and fitness fanatics can join the party without the hangover.

Mary Mae’s transforms its riverside deck into a sunrise rave—no booze required, just beats and flat whites.

Watch it on Instagram

Quick‑start tips

  1. Start small with a local acoustic duo or vinyl DJ.
  2. Schedule the set weekend mornings to catch peak brunch traffic.
  3. Offer a set‑menu brunch so staff can keep up when the beat drops.

3. Brew Good, Do Good: Partner with a Charity

Supporting a cause feels good, looks good and, yes, can also be good for business. Initiatives like CafeSmart donate $1 per coffee on a set day in August, generating headlines and heart-warming social content.

Barista serving a coffee to raise money for Cafe Smart

Seven Miles’ Espresso Bars invited customers to drink for good.

Why it works

  • New customers are more willing to try you when their purchase helps others.
  • PR magnet. Local media love a give‑back angle.

How to nail it

  1. Pick a cause that resonates with your community (homelessness, rescue pets, junior sport).
  2. Set a clear, simple mechanic: $1 per latte, 50 c per bag of coffee, etc.
  3. Tell the story everywhere: in-store, press release, Instagram countdowns.
  4. Post the results and thank your customers.

4. Work with Local Micro-Influencers

You don’t need a reality-TV star. A food blogger with 5k engaged local followers can move the needle for a fraction of the cost.

Food creator @hangryjennie hopped the Mortlake ferry for brunch at Paper Boy, driving local buzz and filling tables.

See it on Instagram

Local Influencer Playbook

  1. Find locals fast – On Instagram, hit your suburb’s geo‑tag and brunch hashtags (e.g. #brisbanebrunch). On TikTok, use the Nearby feed or search the same tags. Check who’s tagging neighbouring cafés and you’ll spot creators already shooting café content.
  2. Do a 3‑minute vet – Look for post engagement, genuine comments (“Need to visit!” trumps “🔥”) and a feed that isn’t wall‑to‑wall ads.
  3. Slide into DMs with value – Offer a free meal plus content‑usage rights. Nano‑creators (<10 k followers) often jump at a tasty contra deal.
  4. Give their followers a treat – Arm the creator with a unique offer for their followers so fans feel special and you can track foot traffic.
  5. Share the love – As soon as the content goes live, repost it on your own feed, Stories and even your digital menu boards. Tag the creator, thank them publicly and keep the buzz rolling.

5. Turn Up the Volume on Positive Reviews

Google reviews are gold for local SEO. Marley Jane’s Café turned five-star feedback into a carousel post that doubled as social proof and a gentle nudge for others to leave theirs.

Instagram Post from Marley Janes Cafe featuring a Google Review

Marley Jane’s shared glowing reviews on socials—turning happy feedback into more foot traffic.

Steps to start

  1. Ask happy customers on the spot. A friendly “If you enjoyed your coffee, a quick
  2. Google review would make our day” works wonders.
  3. Add a QR code to the till and takeaway lids.
  4. Screenshot the best reviews and share them.
  5. Always reply to reviews. Yes, even the grumpy ones.

6. Local Workshops

Got empty tables after 2 pm? Partner with a local artist, florist or Pokémon-obsessed craft wizard and host a paid workshop.

Instagram Post promoting an art workship event held at Georgia Rose Cafe

Georgia Rose filled long tables with budding artists, while parents refuelled on coffee.

Why it works

  • New revenue stream from ticket sales, as well as Food & Beverage.
  • Introduces your space to people who might not have discovered it otherwise.

Action plan

  1. Identify unused time slots (weekday afternoons, winter evenings).
  2. Find a creator whose audience overlaps with yours.
  3. Agree on a ticket split and include a coffee or snack bundle.
  4. Capture and share the highlights—the painted smiles sell the next one.

 

Ready to Roll?

Choose one idea, pop it on the calendar, and give it a whirl. Need a hand with recipe tweaks, event ideas or just a morale boost? Our local team is only a message away.

Find out how we help cafés →