Flip Recession the Bird With Free Cup o' Joe at San Francisco Cafe

Jeremy Tooker, provider of free java

When Jeremy Tooker co-owned Ritual Coffee Roasters, he noticed that a lot of folks took advantage of the outlets and WiFi to camp out and "make the place their office."

It wasn't so much that he resented the use of table space. "It just wasn't the vibe I was looking for. I want people to hang out and talk."

So at his new digs, Four Barrel Coffee on Valencia and 15th, he did away with the WiFi and outlets. And a great way to get people to talk -- rapidly, with gesticulations befitting a football analyst -- is to give away free coffee. So he's doing that, too.

Every Monday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Four Barrel is handing out free cups of Joe in what Tooker calls his "F.U. Recession" giveaway (We're writing about this on Friday so those dead-set on getting every last free item they can in these troubled times of ours can plan accordingly). The offer continues until April 20 -- the Monday after Tax Day, not coincidentally.

When asked why he opted to start giving away eight-ounce cups of French press coffee last week, Tooker noted it was "just for fun." Are people sticking around and buying more stuff? "Not really." So what's the catch? "It's just a fun thing to do for our customers."

Well, fair enough. And fair warning -- in addition to WiFi and outlets, you also won't find nonfat milk at Four Barrel. There are some things Tooker won't even give away.

 

Photo   |   Disrupsean