Coffee Shop With A Membership?

Voca Coffee may be the only coffee shop in the world with a membership. Today we are answering the questions we know you have, and sharing how our membership provides you with the optimal experiences of the world's best coffee － not to mention additional perks.

Although Google and Yelp may indicate that we are only open on Tuesdays and Fridays, we are actually open Monday to Friday, operating under a unique hybrid model:

Tuesday and Friday: open to everyone

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: open to members only

Our business model is new and unique. Like any new concept, it sparks curiosity and puzzlement. We get frequent questions about this model and our business hours. This blog serves as a FAQ about our membership program. You will learn about our rationale behind this model, the benefits and perks of being a member and how to sign up.

Why are you only open two days a week?

As stated above, we are actually open five days a week: Monday to Friday!

The confusion comes from Google and Yelp business listings. Since our model is so unique, neither Google nor Yelp has a feature to allow additional descriptions (like public or member-only) to the business hours. Maybe Google and Yelp will address this issue in future :-)

Why do you have a membership program?

The reason we chose a hybrid model with a membership program is twofold. This model allows us to:

• Form a close-knit coffee community
• Cultivate a creative and encouraging environment for our baristas

Close-knit coffee community

On Member Days, we have less foot traffic, so we can spend more time focusing on each member, getting to know them personally as well as their coffee preferences. We enjoy sharing and talking about coffee － brewing methods, flavor notes, etc., creating a more meaningful and personal coffee experience for each member.

In addition, our members often make connections with each other as well.

Cultivating a creative environment for our baristas

We are intentionally creating an environment that fosters our baristas’ passion for coffee and sparks their creativity. We have personally experienced that having a hybrid model, in which some days are focused on serving customers and other days are quieter, allows us to develop our creative side and sharpen our coffee skills. On Member Days, our baristas have more free time to explore new recipes, brew methods, and roasts.

Besides, during member days, our baristas get a chance to physically rejuvenate. Having such a balance ensures that on Public Days, even during busy hours, we are able to provide optimal coffee experiences to all customers.

We believe that with this hybrid model, all parties are rewarded － we can form a close-knit coffee community, customers enjoy optimal service and experiences, and baristas continue to grow in their passion and craft.

Naturally, the next question is: “How does membership work?”

How does the membership work?

The answer is quite straightforward. It’s a prepaid program, essentially a store credit. You pay a lump sum of $600 up front for a regular membership. The entire amount goes to you, for you to spend on any coffee or food at our studio, or purchase coffee beans and merchandise (both in store and online). There is no extra or hidden fee to be a member. Your membership lasts until you use all the credits, or until three years later. In short, it is:

$600 Prepaid and Good For Three Years

Three years lets you have peace of mind. Most of our members finish using their credits within 6 months to a year. So, the three year expiration policy is designed to be pressure-free.

When you order anything at our studio or online, the order will be automatically charged to your account using your remaining store credits, and the receipt will be emailed to you instantly.

Every month, we’ll also email you a membership report for you to keep track of the items you purchased this month and how much remaining balance you have.

Short-term membership

For people only staying in the area for a short period of time, we offer a short-term membership as well. It’s a $200 prepaid credit, valid for three months.

This was originally designed for college students coming back to the Bay Area during summer break. It’s also a good option for co-workers or friends who want to “share” a membership by taking turns to pay for the membership.

Membership benefits

Once you become a member, you will get the following benefits:

• Come visit our studio on both Member Days and Public Days
• Enjoy coffee much more peacefully in our beautiful coffee studio
• Learn more about coffee, culture and brewing techniques
• Bring unlimited guests, as long as you are present
• Skip the line on Public Days － you don’t need to wait in the line at the front desk, simply give your order to one of our baristas, and we will enter your order in a separate register
• Be the first to try our new beans, brews, and recipes
• Free perks on your birthday
• First access to our special events

As you can see, our membership unlocks you daily access to exquisite experiences of the world’s best coffee, friendship and connections, as well as many other exclusive perks. 

How can I sign up?

You can sign up for our membership at our studio front desk, or place an order online at:

https://vocacoffee.com/coffeesubscriptions/

When you sign up at our studio, we’ll set up your member account immediately and you can use it right away.
If you sign up online, simply let us know when you come to our studio, and you can start to use it right away.

Enjoy Coffee!