Most of our regulars have heard the news: COVID forced us to make the hard decision to close the downtown and Decatur locations and pivot into the dizzying world of e-commerce, facebook ads, and social media marketing. When the reality dawned on me that closing was inevitable, it was like a punch in the gut that still leaves me short of breath. What would happen to the scene? To our customers--the students, staff, faculty, Fulton county and city employees?! The events? The art? The music?

The Ebrik vibe was something you simply couldn’t find anywhere else and we kept it alive through thick and thin--

Thanks to Jada Jones for documenting the story so well in the Georgia State Signal article last week, "The Rise and Fall of Ebrik”. So when we needed to move online and the team got together to think through our strategy, the question was how could we maintain the feel of the shop online? In the digital space? On social media and elsewhere? There is a world of difference between strolling in, chatting it up, and getting a latte of your choice… and finding Ebrik in the online algorithm that pretty much controls our world these days. Almost impossible to replicate really.

Nonetheless, that’s what we’re aiming for. Since we moved out of downtown and Decatur, we’ve committed to bringing the Ebrik experience to our Ebrik fam and friends directly. The team has done some amazing things and our habit of hiring creatives and social activists seems to be the best investment we ever made. The online brand refresh has been spearheaded by Shaa’ista Sabir, an Agnes Scott College and ATL phenom. She has led the Ebrik crew through all aspects of our digital engagement and creative strategy. So, the first thing you do to recreate your in-person vibe online, is to let your in-person power lead you online. One day I woke up to an amazing set of slides on mental health awareness, then another to an Ebrik spotify playlist. Ebrik Meet & Greets, Coffee Prep Lessons, and I even got roped into holding some “Office Hours” sessions (I almost bored myself).  

Now that we’ve successfully made the transition to the online space and have the machine up and running, we’re experimenting with more concepts to bring the shop back to the people. Last month we showed our love to the teachers, back at school and at home, helping the best ways during these crazy times. We rallied gift card sales and special promotions for people to show their appreciation to the teachers in their lives. (Note: you can still do that if you want...)

The next major initiative we’re running is our “Coffee work/Study care pack”. If you’re like me, I’ve got a pretty bad case of cabin fever six months into this pandemic. Zoom calls, classrooms, meetings; I miss connecting with folks! I miss a good cup of coffee (yes, even me).

So, we’ve put together a set of offers for employers to show some love to the folks on their teams.

Gift packages, pour-over starter kits, and even virtual tastings, these are just a few ways we’re trying to bring the Ebrik vibe to wherever you are. Oh - and we have a great set of VIP events coming up around the corner.

If you were a regular or like this idea, be sure to spread the word and work up Ebrik @ home to your boss or manager. Connecting us through coffee and shared vibes during the pandemic is just the way we’re gonna survive this together.