Discover how a community-first coffee shop and art space in Hillsborough County, NH, turned everyday gatherings into a thriving local ecosystem.

Built on the belief that people naturally want to connect, collaborate, and support one another, this space brings together artists, makers, and small business owners under one roof, creating more than just coffee but a true community hub.

By combining creativity, commerce, and connection, the business has become a go-to destination for locals looking to learn, share, and grow together.

Client: Village Art Cafe

Platform: Village Art Cafe

Business type: Community-focused coffee shop & art space

Location: Hillsborough County, NH

Audience:

• Local artists & makers

• Small business owners

• Community members looking to connect, learn, and sell

Core belief: “People want to gather, connect, work together and help each other.”

The Struggle: Outdated Systems Lacking the Flexibility to Manage Memberships and Community Engagement

Village Art Cafe was more than a coffee shop, but they needed tools to support that vision.

Challenges:

• Multiple income streams (events, display space, classes, products)

• Different membership tiers with different benefits

• Constant communication needs (events, products, promos)

• Promoting artists & makers without manual work

• Turning foot traffic into long-term community members

Problem: Traditional POS + social media was not enough to manage a growing, multi-layered community.

The Solution: A Membership-First Model

Village Art Cafe structured its offering around clear subscription tiers:

• Event Space+ – $50/month

• Display Space +10 – $50/month

• Event & Display Space – $75/month

• Display Space Mini – $25/month
  

Each plan includes:

• Defined space usage

• Promotion via Village’s channels

• Regular visibility on Main Street

• Access to an existing community

🎯 Raklet angle:

“Instead of one-off rentals, Village Art Cafe turned space into a recurring membership model.”

Email Marketing as the Heartbeat of the Community

For Village Art Cafe, email marketing is not a standalone channel; it’s the connective tissue between artists, members, products, and events.

As a space built on relationships rather than transactions, the cafe needed a way to stay present in people’s lives even when they weren’t physically in the space. Email became that channel.

Using Raklet’s built-in email marketing, Village Art Cafe communicates with its community in ways that feel personal, timely, and meaningful.

They use email to:

• Announce limited-run products and artist collaborations

• Spotlight local makers, sharing their stories and creative processes

• Promote seasonal offerings like soups, muffins, and holiday drinks

• Drive attendance for events, workshops, and classes

• Enable instant, low-friction sales through digital gift cards

But what truly sets their email strategy apart is how they communicate.

From Promotions to Community Narration

Rather than sending generic campaigns, Village Art Cafe treats every email as a piece of community storytelling.

• Product storytelling explains the why behind each item: eco-friendly materials, sensitive-skin benefits, and local sourcing

• Soft urgency (“Only a few left”, “Limited edition”) creates momentum without pressure

• Seasonal relevance ensures messages feel timely and human

• Low-friction actions like instant eGift cards turn inspiration into action in seconds

💡 Email isn’t just marketing; it’s how the community stays warm, informed, and connected between visits.

Why Raklet Made the Difference

Raklet allowed Village Art Cafe to manage email marketing alongside memberships, events, and products—without juggling multiple tools or manual workflows.

With everything in one platform, communication became consistent, scalable, and deeply aligned with the cafe’s community-first values.

From Community Emails to Artist-Led Growth

This email-first approach naturally evolved into something bigger.

By consistently highlighting makers, telling their stories, and connecting products to shared values, Village Art Cafe began turning artists into recognizable voices within the community, not just names on a shelf.

Emails became the primary way to transfer trust: from the cafe → to the artist → to the customer.

This is where community marketing turned into brand-building for makers.

Turning Artists into Micro-Brands

Village Art Cafe doesn’t just promote products; it actively helps artists build their own presence within the community.

The email campaign featuring Lysa Burns’ eco-printed scarves is a perfect example of this approach in action.

Each email:

• Introduces the maker’s story and motivation

• Explains the “why” behind the product, not just the features

• Positions the product as a solution (eco-friendly, sensitive-skin safe, locally made)

• Creates gentle urgency without sounding sales-driven

• Reinforces shared community values

🧠 Key takeaway: Village Art Cafe doesn’t just sell products.
They borrow trust from the community and lend it to artists, helping makers grow visibility, credibility, and sales.

How This Translates Into Results

This approach, combining memberships, events, and email-driven storytelling, creates impact beyond individual campaigns.

Even without hard metrics, the outcomes are clear: One unified platform to manage members, events, and communication.

• More predictable monthly revenue through memberships

• Higher artist retention thanks to consistent visibility and promotion

• Increased repeat visits driven by events and email communication

• A stronger emotional bond between customers and the space

 I really enjoy using your platform and I’m trying to get into an even more disciplined engagement.  I’ve been examining how to now best organize and promote our community. 

Chrissy Carr, Founder

 

Final Takeaway: Why This Works

Village Art Cafe succeeds because it prioritizes community over transactions.

• They sell belonging, not just coffee.

• Memberships replace one-time purchases with long-term relationships.

• Email keeps the community warm, active, and connected.

• Artists feel supported, not like space renters.

• Customers feel like insiders, not just buyers.

Raklet helps businesses like Village Art Cafe turn physical spaces into digital communities.

Want to turn your coffee shop into a thriving community hub? ☕️
With Raklet, you can manage memberships, promote events, sell products, and keep your community connected — all in one place.