Here's An Idea: Coffee Memberships

Picture this: you're on your way to work on a normal Friday morning. The sun is shining and traffic isn't too bad. You're listening to your preferred podcast or radio show, like you always do. 

Before you get to the office, you pull into the drive-through of your favorite coffee place (Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, etc.) to grab your favorite cup of coffee to start your day. 

Normally this would be a special treat for yourself, splurging on an alternative to getting up early and brewing your own good-but-not-quite-as-good cup of coffee.

But not for you. You get your favorite coffee every morning, and you don't have to feel bad about how much you're spending. You know why?

Because you're a member.

What if places like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks started selling coffee memberships? For a discounted rate, you could purchase a membership that gets you one cup of coffee a day for a year. 

For example, let's say a regular cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee is $2. That means if I bought a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee every day for a month, it would cost me somewhere around $60. 

Instead, let's say Dunkin Donuts tells me if I'll give them $40 up front, I can have a cup of coffee every single day for a month. They would give me a card that I simply give to the cashier every day, registering that I have used my "coffee credit" for that day. 

The end result is that I get my favorite cup of coffee every day at a better rate because I have essentially committed to my favorite coffee place. In turn, Dunkin Donuts makes more money off me as a customer ($40 a month) than I likely would have spent with them otherwise. Essentially, they're buying my loyalty, resulting in higher volumes of business. 

We already see this in different variations. Punch cards that offer "Buy 10 burritos, get the 11th for free" are essentially making a deal with the customer: spend enough money here, and we'll give you a slight discount because the volume of your business is worth it.

Obviously, coffee memberships would be offered in several tiers. Maybe you don't like regular coffee, and you pay a little more for a "latte membership." Maybe you get a better discount if you buy a 6-month or 1-year membership than if you went month-to-month. Maybe you have a "breakfast membership" that gets you a cup of coffee and two donuts. You get the idea.

Also, membership has its benefits. Perhaps certain places have an express line/drive-through for members, allowing them to get in and out faster. 

Wouldn't this be the best Christmas present ever? Talk about the gift that keeps on giving. "Here Dad, I'm giving you thirty minutes of joy every single day for the next year. Merry Christmas!"

So get at me, Dunkin Donuts. Let's make this happen.

What do you think? Would you buy a coffee membership to your favorite place?