Monitoring Period: September 3rd, 2026 – September 17th, 2026
Agency: The Fresh Press PR (Joey Olek, Izzy Henick, Gigi Fowler, Jordan Pierce)
Local News:
https://www.whsv.com/2026/08/28/college-students-return-brings-business-boom-local-restaurants
- Inspiration for Drifters to see more student faces: This is another local breakfast place in town. They get a lot of business during the school year; they believe it’s because of the shop’s unique people and decor, and many years of dedicated, friendly service.
- Many customers and employees say, “Nothing about this place is fake or processed”; it is authentic, and customers build connections with the servers and owners. People love having a place like this to go and feel connected to their community.
- The owner calls students “the cream on top”; this is endearing and the reason why they earned $1500 more the weekend of move-in. They earn their tips.
- First Watch comes to Harrisonburg; it’s a well-known, well-liked, farm-to-table breakfast place. Already very much a pillar in the community by the time it opened. They also promote using women-owned coffee.
- First Watch takes pride in its three core values: working shoulder to shoulder with its teams, rolling up sleeves, and being kind. Despite being a national chain, the company prioritizes being a part of the neighborhood where it operates.
- Customers describe it as good food and an open, welcoming space. For its opening event, they gave out 100 coffee mugs to the first 100 customers.
Social Media Monitoring: Possible Influences for Drifters Cafe
Black Sheep promotes fresh, new food, highlighting that it is yummy and healthy. Since Drifters has many similar food items, this could inspire the cafe’s baked goods section.
7-brews post highlights lots of unique fall drink flavors; this could give Drifters ideas for new mixes and ways to promote their fall drinks.
Industry News:
https://www.roastmagazine.com/stories/decaf-reconsidered
- Decaf coffee has become more popular as people prioritize their health, sleep, and caffeine sensitivity. Millennials and Gen Z are the most likely to choose decaf over regularly caffeinated coffee.
- At first, many people didn’t choose decaf because it felt so different from regular coffee. However, processing techniques have improved, including green coffee selection and roasting methods. This has narrowed the gap between regular and decaf coffee.
- Drifters could use this research in its marketing to show customers that there are still many options for people who do not like regular caffeinated coffee.
https://www.roastmagazine.com/stories/rethinking-coffee-sourcing
- Where a café gets its coffee can affect quality, price, and consistency. This matters for Drifters because customers expect good, consistent coffee.
- The article talks about spot buying and forward buying. These are different ways businesses buy coffee, and changes in coffee prices could affect how much Drifters pays and the prices of its drinks.
- Long-term relationships with coffee suppliers can help Drifters maintain a steady supply of coffee and better understand where it comes from.
- Drifters could also use its coffee sourcing to tell customers more about its coffee and brand, especially if its suppliers focus on quality or sustainability.
- Grounds for Health is celebrating 30 years of helping women in coffee-growing communities.
- The annual coffee auction sells high-quality coffees and raises money for health programs.
- Since 2009, the auction has raised more than $1 million for Grounds for Health programs.
- The article shows how the coffee industry can connect coffee with social causes and help communities.
- This is relevant to Drifters Cafe because the café could highlight the people and communities behind its coffee and support local or social causes. This could also help Drifters connect with customers who care about giving back and making a difference.
Advisory Comments:
Drifters Cafe should pay attention to current trends in the coffee industry, especially where their coffee comes from and the history behind it. Customers like to know what they are consuming, especially if it makes them feel better about getting coffee every day. Drifters should share this type of information with their customers. Drifters should also highlight what sets them apart from other local coffee shops in the area. Harrisonburg has many good coffee shop options, so they need to stand out as the best without directly comparing themselves to others. They could do this by analyzing the weaknesses of other shops and highlighting Drifters’ strengths on their website/Instagram.
The Cafe should use social media even more than they already do to highlight these things so customers better understand what they are drinking. While doing this, they should also keep up with their social media and make it easy to access. Coffee connoisseurs will use Instagram to see what coffee they have and decide if it looks appealing. Promote the menu on social media; don’t leave it a mystery with words on a menu. Give people appealing visuals that make it impossible not to come to the cafe and try the coffee/food.
Drifters should also focus on strengthening their relationship with JMU because, according to local news, the students really do make a difference in the amount of business. As the Little Grill does, creating an experience for customers and building real connections makes a huge difference. This could start a regular routine of students coming on the weekends when they are doing work, hanging out, and have free time. In the beginning of semesters, during Frog Week, Drifters can also take advantage by holding more student-focused events and promotions to welcome the college students back.
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