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Coffee Milano Café, a coffee shop in Middleborough, Massachusetts, recently gained viral fame for its unique promotion offering free coffee to customers who dance for five seconds. A video of the dancing customers was posted on the café’s TikTok account, quickly racking up over 5-million views. Owner Josh Rashid says the promotion attracted both new customers and regulars excited to share their moves.
Inspired by a similar idea from a pizza shop, Rashid put up a sign telling customers they could get free coffee if they danced and agreed to be filmed for the café’s social media. They’ve picked up thousands of new followers on TikTok since posting the video. Rashid stresses how crucial social media can be for small businesses, saying, “We’re in a digital world… it just shows us how powerful social media is.”
The café’s playful strategy was praised by social media expert Kristyn Shay, who notes that it’s an exciting time for small businesses to connect with younger audiences online. Rashid plans to make the dancing promotion a monthly event. Some expressed concern about the business losing out on profits by giving away all that free coffee, to which Rashid says, “You’ve got to have some joy in this world, and if a little five-second dance brings you joy, then it’s worth the free coffee.”