Hey Brooklyn! Get started with $20 off your first subscription of $40 or more.

Join the Club: 5 Shops Making Membership Sweet

Join the Club: 5 Shops Making Membership Sweet

If the term “club” conjures images of middle school cliques or gym rats, think again. Today, brands use membership models to forge deep, long-lasting relationships with customers based on trust and loyalty. And, of course, deliciousness. Many food and beverage businesses leaning into the club model are bakeries, chocolate shops, ice cream shops, and confectioneries, which send members their favorite sweets on repeat.

When someone joins a club—in this case, buying ongoing access to a product—they show commitment to a single brand. In turn, companies enjoy more predictable revenue streams, direct relationships with their customers (no middlemen), and more opportunities to engage customers with new products. That means when a new flavor is ready for the market, there’s a club of fans ready and eager to give it a try. 

Photo by Jeswin Thomas

Here are five clubs that will satisfy every sweet tooth. 

Vosges

Vosges’ bars and truffles are celebrated for artisan craftsmanship and unexpected flavors: fermented black tea, ginger, paprika, and edible flowers, to name a few. Customers may opt in to three tiers of club membership—three, six, or 12 months—each filled with both bestselling and new collections. The 13 Moon Chocolate Lunar Club arrives on members’ doorsteps each new moon, offering a tasting experience tailored to that moon cycle (crystals included).

Jeni’s

This ice cream company started small in Columbus, Ohio, and quickly swept the nation, with dozens of scoop shops and placement in grocery stores across the country. Jeni’s devotees (and there are plenty) can join the pint club on a three, six, or 12-month schedule. Every month, members receive a curated selection of four flavors (often before they’re available for sale) delivered to their doorstep. 

Samuel’s Sweet Shop

Samuel’s opened in upstate New York in 1994, and when the owner passed away in 2014, three local families who knew and loved him bought it so that the business could stay alive. (Fun fact: two of the buyers were actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Paul Rudd.) Instead of tiers, their club offers a monthly subscription with samplers such as Nuts About You and Cookies ‘n Dreams. 

Cheryl’s Cookies

This cookie delivery site is an ecommerce giant, belonging to the same family of brands as 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Harry & David, and more. Beyond making it easy to ship cookies to anyone, anywhere in the U.S., for any occasion, Cheryl’s also has clubs: the Buttercream Frosted Cookie Club, Sugar Free Cookie Club, or Gourmet Brownie Club. And lots more. Members can pay as they go, six or 12 times per year.

Salt & Straw

This cousin-founded shop makes ice cream by hand with top-notch ingredients and has locations from Portland to Miami, plus an online shop. Like Jeni’s, Salt & Straw also offers a pint club. In addition to three, six, and 12-month subscriptions, there’s a club with seasonal flavors (strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper, anyone?) and another with vegan flavors for the dairy-free set. 


Join the Club: 5 Shops Making Membership Sweet

Join the Club: 5 Shops Making Membership Sweet
by
Soma Amir
by
Doron Segal
by
Tomer Molovinsky
by
Olivia Terenzio
by
Jessica Buckley
by
Ashley Rodriguez
March 25, 2020

If the term “club” conjures images of middle school cliques or gym rats, think again. Today, brands use membership models to forge deep, long-lasting relationships with customers based on trust and loyalty. And, of course, deliciousness. Many food and beverage businesses leaning into the club model are bakeries, chocolate shops, ice cream shops, and confectioneries, which send members their favorite sweets on repeat.

When someone joins a club—in this case, buying ongoing access to a product—they show commitment to a single brand. In turn, companies enjoy more predictable revenue streams, direct relationships with their customers (no middlemen), and more opportunities to engage customers with new products. That means when a new flavor is ready for the market, there’s a club of fans ready and eager to give it a try. 

Photo by Jeswin Thomas

Here are five clubs that will satisfy every sweet tooth. 

Vosges

Vosges’ bars and truffles are celebrated for artisan craftsmanship and unexpected flavors: fermented black tea, ginger, paprika, and edible flowers, to name a few. Customers may opt in to three tiers of club membership—three, six, or 12 months—each filled with both bestselling and new collections. The 13 Moon Chocolate Lunar Club arrives on members’ doorsteps each new moon, offering a tasting experience tailored to that moon cycle (crystals included).

Jeni’s

This ice cream company started small in Columbus, Ohio, and quickly swept the nation, with dozens of scoop shops and placement in grocery stores across the country. Jeni’s devotees (and there are plenty) can join the pint club on a three, six, or 12-month schedule. Every month, members receive a curated selection of four flavors (often before they’re available for sale) delivered to their doorstep. 

Samuel’s Sweet Shop

Samuel’s opened in upstate New York in 1994, and when the owner passed away in 2014, three local families who knew and loved him bought it so that the business could stay alive. (Fun fact: two of the buyers were actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Paul Rudd.) Instead of tiers, their club offers a monthly subscription with samplers such as Nuts About You and Cookies ‘n Dreams. 

Cheryl’s Cookies

This cookie delivery site is an ecommerce giant, belonging to the same family of brands as 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Harry & David, and more. Beyond making it easy to ship cookies to anyone, anywhere in the U.S., for any occasion, Cheryl’s also has clubs: the Buttercream Frosted Cookie Club, Sugar Free Cookie Club, or Gourmet Brownie Club. And lots more. Members can pay as they go, six or 12 times per year.

Salt & Straw

This cousin-founded shop makes ice cream by hand with top-notch ingredients and has locations from Portland to Miami, plus an online shop. Like Jeni’s, Salt & Straw also offers a pint club. In addition to three, six, and 12-month subscriptions, there’s a club with seasonal flavors (strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper, anyone?) and another with vegan flavors for the dairy-free set. 


Soma Amir

About the author

Doron Segal

About the author

Hey I'm Doron, the co-founder & CTO of Per Diem — a mobile app platform for restaurants. I'm also a dad and a husband. I love to travel and meet new people.I love creating things, and see people using the stuff I built.Prior to Per Diem I worked at Saildrone, OpenTable, Apple, Beats Music, Siemens.

Tomer Molovinsky

About the author

A second time founder with a passion for building products at the intersection of hospitality and technology. I've had the pleasure of launching reservation systems, mobile payment solutions, and loyalty programs at OpenTable and Resy, and witnessed how operators were losing a direct connection with their customers online. We built Per Diem to strengthen the relationships that businesses have with those customers, and to ensure that local businesses can thrive in today's economy.

Olivia Terenzio

About the author

Jessica Buckley

About the author

Ashley Rodriguez

About the author

Ashley is a freelance writer and podcast producer based in Madison, Wisconsin. She hosts a podcast called Boss Barista and writes an accompanying newsletter with full transcripts of each episode and articles about coffee and restaurant work. You can check out her work here (ashleyrodriguez.work/).

Explore featured restaurants and cafes

How Arkansas' the Busy Bean Tops Charts on Google Play With a Custom Mobile App
How Arkansas' the Busy Bean Tops Charts on Google Play With a Custom Mobile App
Read Case study
How Crema Coffee & Soda is Satisfying Customers in Utah With a Soda Pop App
How Crema Coffee & Soda is Satisfying Customers in Utah With a Soda Pop App
Read Case study
How Lucky Coffee Boosts Mobile App Adoption Through Email Campaigns
How Lucky Coffee Boosts Mobile App Adoption Through Email Campaigns
Read Case study
Run Your Cafe Like a Bank: How Ethereal Cafe Created a Starbucks-Style Mobile App
Run Your Cafe Like a Bank: How Ethereal Cafe Created a Starbucks-Style Mobile App
Read Case study
From One-Timers To Regulars: How Empire Tea and Coffee Transformed Customer Loyalty with Per Diem
From One-Timers To Regulars: How Empire Tea and Coffee Transformed Customer Loyalty with Per Diem
Read Case study
How Cosmic Coffeehouse Teamed Up with Per Diem and Square for an Out-of-This-World Grand Opening
How Cosmic Coffeehouse Teamed Up with Per Diem and Square for an Out-of-This-World Grand Opening
Read Case study
How Kino's Coffee and Others Have Boosted Their Sales with Push Notifications
How Kino's Coffee and Others Have Boosted Their Sales with Push Notifications
Read Case study
Coupon Codes That Work: Chip City's Free Cookie Strategy for Customer Acquisition
Coupon Codes That Work: Chip City's Free Cookie Strategy for Customer Acquisition
Read Case study
From Local Comfort Food to High Tech: How Joanie’s Modernized Operations
From Local Comfort Food to High Tech: How Joanie’s Modernized Operations
Read Case study
Rebranding a Bubble Tea Brand: How Niko Niko Boba Expanded Beyond Chatime
Rebranding a Bubble Tea Brand: How Niko Niko Boba Expanded Beyond Chatime
Read Case study
How Plomo Quesadillas Won Over Gen-Z With Square Loyalty
How Plomo Quesadillas Won Over Gen-Z With Square Loyalty
Read Case study
The Perfect Blend: How Coffee Dose Boosted Brand Loyalty with Per Diem
The Perfect Blend: How Coffee Dose Boosted Brand Loyalty with Per Diem
Read Case study
Ambee Coffee's Rebrand and Per Diem: A Match Made for Expansion
Ambee Coffee's Rebrand and Per Diem: A Match Made for Expansion
Read Case study
Why Kino's Coffee Switched Mobile Apps: A Case Study in Improving the Customer Experience
Why Kino's Coffee Switched Mobile Apps: A Case Study in Improving the Customer Experience
Read Case study
How DoorDash Drive and Per Diem Fueled Masala Wok and Tikka Shack's Delivery Dreams
How DoorDash Drive and Per Diem Fueled Masala Wok and Tikka Shack's Delivery Dreams
Read Case study
Per Diem's Square Integration: How Island Flavor Streamlined Operations
Per Diem's Square Integration: How Island Flavor Streamlined Operations
Read Case study
Hidden Grounds Case Study: When Apps Meet Customer Loyalty, Magic Happens
Hidden Grounds Case Study: When Apps Meet Customer Loyalty, Magic Happens
Read Case study
Scan for a Free Cookie: How Chip City's QR Codes Drove App Adoption
Scan for a Free Cookie: How Chip City's QR Codes Drove App Adoption
Read Case study
Close Line
Try Per Diem
Sign up for our monthly newsletter for all the latest in local restaurant trends, industry insights, and Per Diem product updates.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close Line

Unlock new insights and trends by
downloading Ultimate Guide for Launching a Mobile Ordering App.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close Line