Coffee shops and college students have gone hand in hand for decades. Whether it’s the trendy place to hang out or the overwhelming need for caffeine, coffee shops play a pivatol role in the lives of students. As such, many such shops have been cropping up in recent years, especially as they have become more popular amongst the so called “hipster” community. With more shops comes more competition, and for Andrew Eigel, owner of the Roxx Electrocafe in Cincinnati, Ohio, that competition is being beaten through the use of QR codes.
Eigel owns and operates a hybrid café that is a cross between a traditional coffee shop and a gaming café. The store offers to two of the things that many college students cannot get enough of: Games and caffeine. This has made the shop one of the most popular cafes in Cincinnati, but Eigel has still had to compete with other cafes and Starbucks. In an effort to stand out from amongst the masses of similar venues, Eigel has adopted QR codes to help him connect with customers and offer them deals.
Eigel made use of the popular coupon platforms Groupon and LivingSocial to promote deals for his shop. Using QR codes, he has attracted the attention of new students as well as local residents. Every day, Eigel offers new codes that, when scanned, can be redeemed for free drinks or food from the shop. He believes that once customers set foot inside the café, they will want to stay, seduced by the shop’s eccentric atmosphere.
