An independent coffee shop in Huddersfield is offering a free drink to customers who share their stories about having a coffee with their mates.
The offer at the Old George Coffee House based at Heritage Exchange business and residential complex in Oakes ties in with International Friendship Day next Tuesday, July 30.
Owner Gareth Derbyshire puts an increase in sales over the years partly down to the legacy of Covid lockdowns which saw tight restrictions on social interactions with friends.
He believes that since then people have placed much higher value on the simple pleasure of meeting up for a coffee and a catch up and the business would like to celebrate this.
Gareth said: “I think the experience of Covid made lots of us re-evaluate the way we live our lives and place much more value on quality time with friends. Not so much ‘me time’ as ‘us time’.
“Our friends are not something we take for granted but really appreciate and choosing to spend time with them while enjoying good food and drink has given café culture a boost.”
To celebrate International Day of Friendship The Old George has launched a social media campaign inviting customers to share a photo of themselves and their friends in one of the Old George’s three cafes – one in Huddersfield and two in Barnsley.
Every photo post tagging in the Old George with the hashtag #OGcoffeemates will earn a free coffee on their next visit.
Gareth said: “We love it that our customers choose to meet their friends here – we supply the coffee and cake and they bring the company. My favourite thing is to look around the café and see lots of smiling facing enjoying their time together over our food and drink.
“To celebrate this side of the business we’re inviting people to take pics of themselves with their friends here at the Old George and perhaps share a bit about what this person means to them.”
The Old George also sometimes features a ‘happy to talk’ table were people by themselves can sit if they’d like a chat with others. This is an idea in cafes is backed by the Campaign to End Loneliness.
Gareth said: “It prompts us to have a friendly word with them too. I tell my team we are all about the experience we provide and the environment we create, not just the food and drink we serve. Our regular customers have become friends – I worry about them if I’ve not seen them for a while.”
The General Assembly of the United Nations officially declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship in 2011.
The Mental Health Foundation, backing the awareness day, says: “We strongly believe that friendships protect our mental health by building our capacity to cope with difficult situations and providing us with a support network.”
“In other words,” says Gareth. “It’s good to talk.”
Gareth opened the Old George on Market Hill in Barnsley in 2017 with partner Andrew McCulloch. The pair expanded the business with a second outlet inside Barnsley Town Hall in 2019 and a third at the Heritage Exchange in Oakes in 2020.
The coffee house chain has increased turnover six-fold since setting up and grown the workforce from two to 37 over its first seven years in business. It aims to expand to other sites in future.
To take part in the #OGcoffeemates challenge simply meet up with your friend or significant other at The Old George and share a photo of yourselves on Instagram or Facebook, tagging in the Old George and saying a little something about your friendship.
Each successful post earns a free coffee next time you go in.
For more information go to https://www.old-george.co.uk/
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
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