What Is a Coffee Shop Subscription? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When you say \u201ccoffee shop subscription,\u201d most people likely think of at-home coffee delivery. That\u2019s because, traditionally, coffee subscription models have been less about the brew and more about the beans.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the past decade or so, caffeine lovers have paid subscription companies like Bean Box<\/span><\/a> and Atlas Coffee Club<\/span><\/a> to deliver freshly roasted coffee beans \u2013 or grounds! \u2013 straight to their front doors. While this type of delivery model is still popular among coffee drinkers, industry shifts over the past five years have transformed what coffee shop subscription means today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In our novel subscription model<\/span><\/a> blog, we shared that restaurant <\/em>subscription growth peaked in April 2020<\/span><\/a>, fueled primarily by pandemic-induced necessity. Coffee shops joined the great subscription shift around the same time with brands like Pret a Manger and Panera taking coffee shop subscriptions from convenient, at-home delivery to exclusive, in-house experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The nice thing about this new, in-house <\/em>approach to coffee shop subscriptions is that the service can look like anything.<\/em> From bottomless coffee to free bakery items, a good coffee shop subscription is whatever the business wants it to be! <\/p>\n\n\n\n (P.S. If you want to learn more about the restaurant industry\u2019s \u201cgreat subscription shift,\u201d then this blog<\/span><\/a> is for you!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, coffee shop subscriptions sound great in theory.<\/em> But do customers actually want<\/em> coffee shop subscriptions? According to the last few years of research, surveys say \u201cyes!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Square x SCA Coffee Report<\/span><\/a> shared that U.S. coffee shop subscription sales increased by 109% from February to April 2020, but demand has remained high even in a post-pandemic world. According to the World Coffee Portal\u2019s Project Caf\u00e9 USA 2023 Report<\/span><\/a>, one-third of customers said they\u2019d prefer a coffee subscription over paying per beverage during their visits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite satisfying an obvious demand, coffee shop subscriptions can offer so much more to your customers; cost savings, convenience, personalization, and even community building. Food and coffee writer Garrett Oden says<\/span><\/a> the strongest subscriptions operate more like memberships, \u201c[helping] customers feel like they belong\u2026 to a group of like-minded people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, coffee shop subscriptions offer tons of benefits for your customers\u2026 but what about you? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t worry \u2014 there are ample benefits for coffee shop and caf\u00e9 owners, too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because coffee shop subscriptions are billed on the same monthly or weekly schedule, they\u2019re a great option for adding a predictable revenue stream to your operation. As time goes on, those recurring subscriptions \u2014 and the data you get from them \u2014 make it easier to predict inventory needs, reduce waste, and optimize staffing, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside predictability and more seamless operations, coffee shop subscriptions can also lead to higher order values and more frequent visits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked about Blank Street Coffee\u2019s subscription program \u2014 which we\u2019ll talk more about later \u2014 co-founder Vinay Menda said it\u2019s at least doubled<\/em> the number of weekly visits. \u201c[Customers] would normally come to us\u2026 maybe two or three times a week,\u201d he said<\/span><\/a>. \u201cBut with the [subscription] program they\u2019re coming six times a week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we could <\/em>talk about the benefits of coffee shop subscriptions all day long\u2026 it might be more fun to show<\/em> you, instead! Here are three best-in-class businesses that show just how effective a coffee shop subscription can be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020, Pret a Manger launched the first iteration of their coffee shop subscription in stores across the UK. The aptly named Pret Coffee Subscription was a direct response to recoup pandemic-related losses; Pret sales dropped 60% YOY<\/span><\/a> with 28 stores closing in London alone<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And, just one year later, the plan seemed to be working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2021<\/span><\/a>, Pret Coffee Subscription expanded to the U.S. market, launching in both New York and Washington. This overseas expansion led Pret\u2019s subscription to some incredible wins: 1.25 million weekly redemptions, 14x as many transactions<\/span><\/a> from subscribers as non-subscribers, and 11% YOY<\/span><\/a> growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, despite those wins\u2026 the Pret team wasn\u2019t done, yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In April 2023, Pret a Manger announced a rebranded and expanded Pret Coffee Subscription \u2014 Club Pret. This new-and-improved subscription featured the signature five-drink perk alongside newly introduced rewards like 20% discounts and \u201cPret Perks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pano Christou, CEO of Pret a Manger, said that their new subscription service is Pret\u2019s way to \u201cgive back<\/span><\/a>\u201d to their community. And, considering that Pret\u2019s transactions increased by 36%<\/span><\/a> within just one month<\/em> of Club Pret launching\u2026 Christou\u2019s \u201cgive back\u201d was a smashing<\/em> success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Panera Bread has always been a massive proponent of rewarding customer loyalty. Considered \u201cone of the earliest<\/span><\/a>\u201d loyalty programs in the industry, MyPanera has had massive success since its inception in 2010, with 48 million active members to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equipped with tangible proof that loyalty programs worked well for Panera customers, the brand decided to take loyalty to the next level with a brand-new service. In 2022<\/span><\/a>, Panera launched the Unlimited Sip Club, a monthly subscription offering unlimited access to coffee, tea, and other drinks, as well as free delivery and birthday treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of Panera\u2019s previous success with loyalty programs, the brand\u2019s executive team anticipated a crossover between MyPanera members and Unlimited Sip Club members. What they didn\u2019t <\/em>expect, though, was the avalanche of totally new customers the Unlimited Sip Club was about to attract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe expected our most loyal and frequent MyPanera members to join the program, but what\u2019s really been interesting is the number of [subscribers]\u2026 that are new to Panera,\u201d said Chief Brand and Concept Officer, Eduardo Luz<\/a>. \u201cSince the launch of Unlimited Sip Club, more than half of its members are new to our MyPanera loyalty program in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blank Street Coffee may be the new kid on the subscription block\u2026 but they\u2019re absolutely crushing it, <\/em>anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The New York City coffee chain started its subscription in the US less than a year ago, launching Blank Street Regulars in September 2023<\/span><\/a>. By the time January 2024 rolled around, Blank Street Coffee had already attracted ~5,000 customers<\/span><\/a> to the Regulars program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (And yes, your math is correct \u2014 that\u2019s 5,000 subscribers in only four<\/em> months!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Considering the incredibly strong start Blank Street Regulars has had, the brand is understandably confident in its continued growth. The co-founders estimate that ~40% of customers<\/span><\/a> will eventually become Regulars, an impressive percentage considering they serve ~300,000 customers annually<\/span><\/a> in the UK alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blank Street Coffee\u2019s recent success has also piqued the interest of investors. Since starting fundraising efforts in March 2023<\/span><\/a>, the chain has secured ~$100M in funding<\/span><\/a> to support the growth of its coffee shop subscription. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do you join the super successful Blank Street Regular program? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, you\u2019ll need to put your patient pants on, first. There\u2019s currently a waitlist to join the coffee shop\u2019s subscription program\u2026 and there are over 4,000 people<\/span><\/a> in line! <\/p>\n\n\n\n If all this talk about drinks and discounts has you ready to hop on the subscription train, then you\u2019re in luck \u2014 the Craver Membership feature has officially arrived! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Membership feature allows you to customize everything about your subscription, crafting your offer in a way that works for you and<\/em> your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what you can expect with Craver\u2019s Membership feature: <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Coffee](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Coffee-Shop-Subscription.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBenefits of Coffee Shop Subscriptions: Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Benefits of Coffee Shop Subscriptions: Owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Best Examples of Coffee Shop Subscriptions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 Pret a Manger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Subscription Details<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Club](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Club-Pret.png\")
<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nClub Pret\u2019s Subscription Success<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2 \u2014 Panera Bread<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Subscription Details<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Panera](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Panera-Breads-Unlimited-Sip-Club-2.png\")
<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nUnlimited Sip Club\u2019s Subscription Success <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3 \u2014 Blank Street Coffee<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Subscription Details<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Black](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Blant-Street-Regulars-2.png\")
<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nBlank Street Regulars\u2019 Subscription Success <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Coffee Shop Subscriptions with Craver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Craver's](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/New-1640-x-924-px-Instagram-Post-23.png\")
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