Cafe in Middleborough, Massachusetts
Customer Dance Posted on SNS Reaches 8 Million Views
A cafe in Massachusetts, USA, has gained attention for holding an event where customers who dance while entering are given free coffee.
On the 21st (local time), foreign media including CNN in the US introduced a recent free coffee event held at a small cafe called 'Coffee Milano Cafe' in Middleborough, Massachusetts.
The cafe posted a sign on the entrance door that read, "Want free coffee? Show us your best dance for 5 seconds as you come in." The notice also included, "This dance will be recorded and used on our store's social media (SNS)."
Customers are dancing to receive free coffee at a cafe in Massachusetts, USA. Instagram: 'coffeemilanocafe'
The video released on the cafe's SNS showed customers starting to dance in various ways every time they entered the store. One customer took off their shoes at the door and performed a moonwalk backward. Others included people hopping like rabbits, a mother spinning around while holding a baby, customers who looked somewhat clumsy but earnestly stepped, and more. Some shyly shook their bodies in place, while others danced energetically throughout the store as if it were a stage. A middle-aged couple embracing each other and performing an elegant couple dance also caught viewers' eyes.
The video went viral, surpassing 8 million views. Cafe owner Joshi Rashid told CNN, "After posting this video, our cafe's TikTok account followers increased by more than 10,000." Previously, the follower count was about 4,000. He also revealed that sales surged sharply thanks to the influx of new customers after the video was posted.
Rashid emphasized to those worried about the cafe's revenue loss that it was not a problem. He said, "There must be joy in the world," adding, "If a 5-second dance brings joy, the value of a free cup of coffee is worth it." He also mentioned plans to hold the dance event again unexpectedly soon, thanks to the enthusiastic support from many people.
Netizens who watched the video expressed joy with comments such as, "I don't even need the coffee; I just want to go dance," "It's a fun idea," and "I could dance all day, not just 5 seconds."
Meanwhile, in Korea, there is a cafe that offers free coffee to active-duty soldiers wearing military uniforms. Mr. A, who runs a small dessert cafe in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, posted a sign inside his store last November that said, "Proud active-duty Republic of Korea Armed Forces soldiers receive free coffee." He started this service after his son enlisted in the military and said, "Sometimes I want to remove the sign because of stress from customers making strange requests, but seeing soldiers' sons and daughters enjoy coffee here makes me happy and forget past troubles," adding that he plans to maintain this business policy for the time being.
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