The coffee industry has been deeply impacted by social distancing policies designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Shops have been forced to furlough employees, to close their seating areas, and rely on to-go orders and online purchases — if they’ve been able to remain open at all. Needless to say, the industry’s morale has taken a hit along with its revenue projections.
Created Co. seeks to reclaim some of that morale with the Rally for Coffee, which asks its participants to make a purchase from a local coffee business on April 11, 2020, in a gesture of support and solidarity. The goal is to remind businesses and customers alike of coffee’s unifying force; that even in the absence of daily banter over the exchange of a latte and credit card, that the community behind coffee remains strong.
“For some people, social distancing has required them to take their laptops home and carry on,” says Created Co. cofounder Ryan Schneider. “For us, it was much more dramatic. We watched the businesses we work with be almost entirely shut down. The financial impacts are hard to fathom.”
While Schneider and cofounder Jeremy Moss knew that their power to change the financial trajectory of the industry was limited, they felt strongly about tapping into the human connection that is the pulse behind the coffee industry. “The idea is simple: Let’s use the internet, social media, and our human networks to get loud for our local shops,” Schneider says.
Get involved
Anyone can participate in Rally for Coffee by making a purchase from a local coffee shop on April 11 and using #RallyForCoffee.
Digital assets for email and social media can be found at RallyforCoffee.org.