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A timely comment, as I've got a friend about to dive into this very enterprise (Coffeshop/craft beer combo) here in Atlanta.

Do you mind sharing what you felt were the key traffic drivers in the pre social media mention days? IOW, what drove people in your door the first 90 days of operation?

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Actually, we tried to create some buzz on social media even before opening, but I'm unsure how much this actually drove traffic in those first days. I think your friend will figure out pretty quickly that at first, opening a brick and mortar [without any previous brand history] is very much about the location. The early adopters will be folks from the neighborhood. In some respects, predicting early traffic for a coffee shop is what I would imagine it to be like if you were looking at good locations for a gas station. Since there's nothing too novel about the _concept_ of a coffee shop, before people try you out, they're going to judge you by what part of town you're in, how easy it is to park, and other logistical factors. Once you get people in the door, that's where you need to start differentiating yourself. If you can impress your first customers, get them talking, and stay consistent, the draw of the shop will expand outside of the neighborhood. Once you have a reputation, people will overcome logistical hurdles to try you out. From there, it's all about continuing to create positive experiences for your customers and they will keep talking about you.

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