The phone booth entrance
Photo: via Pinterest.
On the street, a red phone booth, nothing more. Guests step in, pick up, dial the code from their invitation, and the back of the booth swings open onto the bar.
The walk-through is short, but it's what everyone will remember. A phone booth is an everyday object nobody looks at any more: turning it into a secret door already tells a story.
The hidden coffee bar
Photo: via Pinterest.
Behind the booth, an intimate bar in the new blend's colours: low light, a brass counter, velvet, the smell of freshly roasted coffee. We set it up in a back room, a cellar or an empty space transformed for the occasion.
The decor borrows speakeasy codes, but the cup stays the star. Every detail, from the sugar bowl to the saucers, is designed so the coffee is the only hero of the night.
The 'call' invitation
Photo: via Pinterest.
No classic card: guests receive a number to dial. On the line, a voice gives them a date, an address and an access code. The lucky few even receive a vintage receiver in a box, with a card that simply says 'Pick up'.
The teasing starts before the event, and it shares itself: a mystery number gets posted, talked about and wondered over.
The switchboard tasting
Photo: Instagram @daashabos, via Pinterest.
Baristas become switchboard operators: headsets on, they 'connect' each guest to a line, each line matching a variety or a brewing method. On the tables, rotary phones: pick one up and listen to the brand's story, from farm to cup.
The tasting becomes a game. Guests hop from line to line, compare, take notes and get the new blend without ever reading a product sheet.
Content designed for Reels
Photo: Anna Dunlop, THE WED, via Pinterest.
Reels that hijack an everyday place are doing really well right now: you think you're looking at an ordinary phone booth, then the door opens onto another world. That switch is exactly the kind of moment that keeps people watching to the end.
So we design the journey like a set: a static shot of the booth, a hand dialling the number, the door swinging open, crema pouring, a receiver being picked up. The result: dozens of Reels in line with your campaign, that invited creators actually want to film.
The coffee cocktail after-party
As night falls, the bar switches lines: cups make way for glasses, and a coffee cocktail bar takes over with the brand's coffee: the alcohol-free version leads the menu, with an alcoholic one for those who want it. A DJ sets up behind the switchboard, and the speakeasy becomes a proper party.
This is the moment the new blend becomes a night to remember, the one everyone talks about the next morning over their first coffee.
And the gifting?
We finish with a box shaped like a phone booth: a bag of the new blend, an engraved cup, a card with the secret number and a hand-written note. A little phone booth to take home, and a gift made to be unboxed on camera.
Frequently asked questions
How do you organise a new coffee launch?
Start from what makes the coffee unique (its origin, its roast, its brewing method), find a concept that gets people tasting rather than listening, invite press and content creators, and design every space to produce images. A speakeasy format works very well to build curiosity.
Why choose a hidden bar concept for a launch?
Because secrecy creates desire: a hidden entrance turns arrival into a highlight, gives people a reason to talk about the event before it even starts, and delivers a perfect reveal for video.
How much does a coffee launch event cost?
It depends on the venue, the number of guests, the set design and the length of the event. Agence Dare-Dare puts together a tailored concept and a quote detailed line by line, so you know exactly where every pound or euro goes.