During her 20 year tenure as a foreign correspondent at the White House, Emel Bayrak always had trouble finding a nice quiet spot to work and interview her bevy of cosmopolitan guests. So in 2011, she took matters into her own hands and opened Café Georgetown. Its mix of international flair and local charm fits right in with DC’s historic neighborhood and offers the perfect setting for people-watching.
As a new and unknown business, Bayrak knew she had to be different and wanted to create a guest experience that would truly stand out—especially when it came to coffee.
She served special seasonal drinks made with natural house-blended syrups and powders, such as their now iconic DayDream blue latte, made from butterfly pea flower powder. She also became interested in the rising popularity of latte art on social media and hired two skilled baristas to create hand-drawn designs.
Though the elaborate drinks were beautiful and helped Café Georgetown to gain a loyal following, it quickly became obvious that scaling their unique service posed a real challenge. Customers grew frustrated by the long lines and inconsistent drawing abilities among the wider team of baristas.
Introducing the Ripple Maker transformed the café’s operational capabilities virtually overnight. Suddenly, they could create up to 120 drinks an hour on a single machine, with unlimited customization and without compromising on art quality.
Word spread quickly, and not just in the neighborhood. Customers posted and tagged their dressed-up drinks online, attracting more and more followers to the cafe’s burgeoning instagram profile. It even gained the attention of food bloggers from up and down the east coast and as far out as the west coast, as the café increased its branded exposure and gained an army of influencers. Sena Cundioglu, Georgetown’s Marketing Manager explains, “… it became viral online, mostly on Instagram … everyone wanted to have that experience.”
Café Georgetown understands the business value and brand impact of bev-top media, so from day one they actively invited customers to take advantage of the innovative technology for upgrading their drink experience.
With the enhanced customer-facing display screen on the new Ripple Maker II, and the fun new selfie filters on the upgraded web app, it’s now easier than ever for customers to choose or customize their favorite designs. From romantic wedding proposals, celebratory graduation days, seasonal greetings, or even just dog selfies—the reactions never fall short of sheer delight.
