Retention & Engagement Strategy

Client: Coby’s Cafe
Location: Seattle

Mission Statement

Coby’s Cafe is dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive space where dog lovers and their furry companions can connect, relax, and enjoy high-quality coffee and treats. We strive to foster a community built on joy, comfort, and responsible pet-friendly experiences in the heart of Seattle.

• Low Weekday Traffic

  While weekends brought in crowds, weekday foot traffic remained low, affecting

  revenue and making it difficult to justify full-time staffing levels.

• Limited Digital Presence and Booking Functionality

  Customers had no easy way to RSVP for events or receive timely updates,

  reducing engagement with community-driven programming.

• Difficulty Gathering Customer Feedback

  Without a structured system for collecting reviews or suggestions, the team

  lacked insights into customer needs, which limited the ability to improve offerings.

• Challenges in Educating New Visitors on Pet Etiquette Rules

  First-time customers often misunderstood or ignored guidelines for pet behavior,

  leading to tension among patrons and extra work for staff.

• Limited Data on Customer Behavior

  Without a centralized CRM or analytics dashboard, tracking who returned, why

  they returned, and what offerings drove retention was difficult.

Approach

To address these challenges and boost long-term loyalty, I developed a 3-part retention and engagement strategy:

Loyalty & Membership Program

• Launched a digital punch card using Square integrated with CRM

• Offered member only perks (e.g. early event access or exclusive deals)

Event-Driven Community Building

• Introduced monthly themed events

• Created partnerships with local shelters and trainers to drive foot traffic and positive brand alignment

Personalized Communications & Automation

• Built segmented email campaigns using Squarespace marketing tools

• Sent event invites, surveys, and exclusive offers tailored to visit frequency and pet type

• Embedded sign-up flows across the cafe’s website and checkout system

Key Success Metrics

Loyalty & Membership Program

+16% Increase in Repeat Visits

• How it’s measured:
  Compare the number of returning customers during the first 60 days of the pilot to the baseline period (e.g., the 60 days before launch).

• Data Source:

  • Square POS system (customer profiles, visit history)

  • Loyalty punch card scans/check-ins

Event-Driven Community Building

42% Email Open Rate

• How it’s measured:
  Email campaign analytics from email open rate.

• Data Source:

  • Squarespace

  • Mailchimp
    

Personalized Communications & Automation

+60% Growth in Event RSVPs

• How it’s measured:
  Count of RSVPs or check-ins for events over time.

• Data Source:

  • Google Forms

  • Manual event guest tracking