I’m sitting in a Paradise Bakery Cafe in Tempe, Arizona right now, eating some lunch before afternoon meetings. I’m a big fan of Paradise, mainly for the fresh fruit and salads available. With my travel schedule, it’s often difficult to stock up my house with fresh produce. I know I’m boarding a flight tomorrow morning, so rather than buying a bunch of fruits and vegetables that might go bad, I’ll do a quick run to Paradise and enjoy the strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, and pineapple there. I know it’s a chain, but it’s a chain restaurant I enjoy. I regularly stop at the one in the Denver airport in between flights.
I first visited a Paradise Bakery right before one of the construction update appointments for my home. At the time, there weren’t really any around in San Jose. It reminded me of a Panera, so I popped in and placed my order. When it came out, I actually told the cashier she had made a mistake.
“I didn’t order a cookie.”
“You get one for free.”
“Because it’s my first visit?”
“No, because every meal comes with a free cookie.”
I was surprised. A free cookie? Who does this anymore?
(quick sidenote: the group seating next to me having their business lunch, just had this exact same conversation. “We get a free cookie?” “Cool”)
Sure it fits into their pricing models and they probably sell more cookies because of this policy, but the initial impact is pretty cool.
Is there any way we could provide a “free cookie” within our organizations? What surprise could your provide to the people you serve?
It’s pretty simple, but it’s really nice!
Have a great Wednesday.