Seacoast Local wants to buy you a better cup of coffee
Help us kick off our first-ever Community Membership drive this month, and our outstanding local coffee shops will treat our first 100 new members to a cup of coffee on “National Coffee Day,” Sept. 29.
(Memberships are also payable by check to Seacoast Local, and mailed to us c/o RiverRun Bookstore, 142 Fleet St., Portsmouth, NH 03801. Thank you.)
Seacoast Local Coffee Day Giveaway is a collaboration between our member coffee shops, all locally owned and independent, and our non-profit organization that works to build a Seacoast economy that is more local, green and fair. Those who support Seacoast Local with $25 or more this month will be thanked with a Community Membership that includes a Seacoast Local bumper sticker, “I’m a Localist” wallet card, and a coupon to exchange for a free 12 oz regular coffee at any of the participating shops on Sept. 29.
Seacoast Local wants to celebrate these connections. Our members are synonymous with the unique culture that defines the Seacoast. They include Adelle’s in Dover; Profile Coffee Bar, Port City Coffee Roasters, Ceres Bakery, and White Heron Tea and Coffee in Portsmouth (also offering free tea giveaway); Beach Pea Baking Co. and Lil’s Cafe in Kittery; Young’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop in Durham; Crackskulls in Newmarket; and Henry’s Market in New Castle.
When you get your morning cup or meet up with a friend at a local coffee shop, you’re getting more than coffee. You’re more likely to run into neighbors, get a smile or give a smile to someone you know, check out what’s happening on the bulletin board, exchange ideas, and just feel more connected with your community.
Some, like Profile and Lil’s, are freshly opened, while others such as Ceres have been serving the Seacoast for decades. Young’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop (formerly Grant’s Cafe) will celebrate 90 years in business in 2016, including 20 years of being committed to increased environmental and community sustainability. Together, their open doors welcome everyone into shared public space and into conversation with each other. And yet, they are as independent, varied and distinct as the people who live here.
In addition to adding diversity to our daily choices and unique flavor to our communities, studies by Civic Economics and others also show that typically every dollar spent at a locally owned, independent business circulates 2-3 times more in the local economy than a dollar spent elsewhere. That means more of each coffee dollar gets re-applied locally, toward local procurement, local employees and local philanthropy.
Coffee shops are also a powerful driver when it comes to providing an economic boost directly to their neighborhood. A British study by Allegra Strategies suggests that coffee shops increase sales for surrounding businesses, improving the neighborhood economy by 2-4 percent by attracting more visitors to the area and encouraging them to stay longer.
Join us on Sept. 29 to raise a cup to these benefits, thank our local coffee shops for all they do, and for the first 100 new members, enjoy one on the house!