How Coffee Dose Turned National Coffee Day Into Its Biggest App Sales Day
90.41%
increase in app store views
119.99%
increase in app downloads
141.52%
increase in app sessions
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Coffee Dose, a fast-growing Southern California coffee brand known for its vibrant personality and bold approach to café culture, turned National Coffee Day into its most successful app sales day yet. Using Per Diem’s mobile ordering platform, Coffee Dose achieved nearly 1,000 app orders in just a day, setting a new record for online engagement across its stores in California. The milestone was the result of a focused, well-executed omnichannel campaign that combined a clear offer, consistent communication, and strong brand storytelling to move customers from awareness to action.
Founded in Costa Mesa, Coffee Dose was built to challenge the formality often seen in specialty coffee. The founders, Jeni and Oscar Castro, wanted to deliver the same level of coffee quality in a setting that felt lively, welcoming, and a little rebellious. Every detail of the brand, from its playful pink interiors to its cheeky drink names like “Anti Bitch Serum,” reflects its personality and humor. The brand’s voice carries through every touchpoint, both in-store and online, creating an instantly recognizable experience that feels personal and fun.
This consistent identity has helped Coffee Dose attract a devoted community that values both quality and character. Since partnering with Per Diem in early 2024, the team has taken that same philosophy into the digital space. Their mobile app has become an extension of their cafés, offering customers an easy way to order, collect rewards, and stay connected to the brand’s ongoing promotions.
For cafés, National Coffee Day is one of the most influential sales days of the year. The day brings a natural surge in attention, fueled by social media trends, national coverage, and customers who actively look for coffee-related promotions. For independent shops, it serves as a strong moment to attract new visitors, reward loyal customers, and increase visibility in a space often dominated by large chains.
Coffee Dose recognized this opportunity early. Instead of focusing on in-store discounts or one-time giveaways, they used the day to strengthen what had become the core of their customer experience — their app.
Coffee Dose created a single, straightforward promotion. The offer applied exclusively to app orders and was unavailable for in-store purchases.
Restricting the discount to the app could have been a risky choice for a local coffee shop. However, Coffee Dose understood that clarity drives engagement. By keeping the promotion app-only, they encouraged customers to download and use the app, allowing them to experience its convenience and features firsthand. The exclusivity created urgency, and the bold tone of the campaign kept it on-brand.
The impact was immediate. Checkouts through the app climbed sharply with an increase of over 141.52%, an achievement that placed Coffee Dose’s online performance in the same league as Starbucks for that day.
Behind the strong results was a well-structured marketing plan built around omnichannel communication. Coffee Dose used every major customer touchpoint to highlight the offer in a clear and coordinated way.
The brand launched email announcements followed by timed reminder messages to subscribers, reinforcing that the offer was valid for one day only. The content was visually aligned with the app’s tone, colorful and direct, ensuring that recipients could act quickly.
On Instagram, Coffee Dose amplified the message with posts that reflected their signature humor while emphasizing that the deal was available only through the app. Each post included a direct CTA, bridging discovery and action in a single step.
For existing users, push notifications acted as real-time prompts. These quick reminders reached customers throughout the day and encouraged immediate engagement. Push notifications continue to outperform email in open rates, and for Coffee Dose, they proved to be a high-impact reminder tool. Inside the app, a homepage banner highlighted the offer and guided customers straight to the menu, minimizing steps between discovery and purchase.
This cohesive approach ensured that customers received the same message, wherever they interacted with the brand, leading to faster conversions and higher order volume.
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While National Coffee Day was a high point, Coffee Dose’s app performance remains strong throughout the year. Their continued growth comes from a consistent marketing rhythm and an understanding that customer engagement does not stop once the offer ends.
The brand uses its app as a central hub for customer connection. Each new user receives reward points equal to a free latte and a complimentary birthday drink, which keeps engagement active even when promotions are not running. These benefits turn new customers into repeat buyers and maintain steady order volumes across seasons.
Their year-round strategy balances consistent loyalty rewards with seasonal campaigns that keep customers excited. For instance, this fall, Coffee Dose rolled out a themed promotion through the app featuring pumpkin drinks, fall-inspired treats, and limited-edition spooky season cookies. The campaign brings their playful personality into the autumn season, turning familiar flavors into something lively and on-brand. By launching the menu through the app, Coffee Dose gave users early access and created a sense of exclusivity around seasonal items. These ongoing mobile campaigns keep customers engaged long after major events like National Coffee Day, turning everyday moments into reasons to return to the app.
Coffee Dose’s success provides clear insights for local cafés and small brands that want to grow digital orders.
Their National Coffee Day campaign worked because the offer was easy to understand. Customers knew exactly what they would get and how to claim it. Simple, transparent promotions reduce hesitation and increase participation.
The same message appeared everywhere — on social media, through emails, push notifications, and even the app homepage. Each channel guided customers toward the same action. This kind of alignment builds trust and reinforces awareness at every step of the journey.
By keeping the discount available only through the app, Coffee Dose gave customers a reason to download and try it. This exclusive access strategy created long-term value that extended beyond a single day’s revenue.
A digital campaign succeeds when it feels authentic to the brand. Coffee Dose carried its playful tone through every touchpoint. The campaign sounded like them, looked like them, and felt like them, which kept it consistent with the in-store experience.
The numbers tell the story. Coffee Dose recorded a 141.52% increase in app checkouts on National Coffee Day. The results show that local brands can compete with larger coffee chains when they connect their identity with clear online execution.
The campaign also expanded its app’s user base, with a noticeable spike in downloads that continued in the days following the promotion. Repeat orders grew as new users returned to use their loyalty rewards and redeem their birthday drink offers.
From a marketing perspective, the campaign demonstrated how integrated communication can drive measurable outcomes without heavy budgets or complex systems.
Coffee Dose shows that being local does not limit digital potential. Their National Coffee Day strategy turned a single promotion into lasting engagement by focusing on visibility, value, and brand consistency. The combination of the Per Diem app and Coffee Dose’s strong voice created a customer experience that was fast, fun, and rewarding.
This approach is a model for independent coffee shops aiming to grow beyond their physical walls. By investing in an app experience that reflects the spirit of the brand and promoting it through coordinated channels, small coffee businesses can build loyal digital communities that return every week, not just on special occasions.
Coffee Dose’s success is proof that clear marketing and authentic communication can elevate a local brand to national-level performance. Their story is not about size but strategy. With a confident offer, a strong voice, and a connected campaign, they used National Coffee Day to drive record-breaking results and strengthen their digital foundation for the future.
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