For those that work in the service industry, the opening night of a new business can really make a difference to the longevity of that company.
The opportunity is there to really impress potential customers and get the company's image out there. If visitors have a great time and enjoy the product on offer, they are likely to return - and returns equal more money and therefore success.
The Seattle Times recently ran an article entitled 'Cortona Cafe in Central District hosts grand opening party Saturday evening', which ran as much as a piece on the cafe itself as it did a marketing break for the business.
Indeed, the online PR that will have been generated by the article for Cortona Cafe will have probably been significant.
Cortona Café's ethos is simple - to bring people together regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs.
The cafe is named after a small village in Italy, renowned for its regular multidisciplinary conferences that span cultures and belief systems and encourages all people to share ideas. Cafe owner Will Little has links with the village as a result of studying at the Swiss Technology Institute in Zurich.
Speaking of the moniker, he told the news provider: "I want the name to lead into dialogue, to bring together people from different backgrounds to discuss different issues."
And that's exactly what he will have been hoping happened at the grand opening. If people, attracted by the name or simply the coffee, had an engaging and insightful evening socialising with people from a variety of cultures, then they might just go back.
Whether the opening night went as well as had been hoped is unknown, but if the application levels for the jobs (150 for five positions) are anything to go by, then the chances are it went well.
Furthermore, with a website that allows customers to book the loft section (so long as the proposed event is open to the public and does not need use of the area for more than two hours), the cafe is well set up for those that want a swift coffee as well as those with something larger in mind.
© Adfero Ltd
