The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur authors are their very own.
Located in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, Majop is a café and garden shop known for its cozy charm and abundance of greenery. People from all walks of life gather here to reconnect with nature and each other.
Julia Valleroy, Maypop’s administrative coordinator, was once one of those clients looking for an escape to the garden and a good cup of coffee. Valleroy says he is now a part of Maypop’s band dual business model continues to offer warmth and magic to her and many others.
“You really can’t see [anything like Maypop] here in the Midwest at all,” he says. “How many places can you visit where you can have a cup of coffee and also buy flowers for your porch or that tropical potted plant you’ve been dreaming about?”
Many customers come to the store to have a good time special occasions, like this Yelp reviewer Angela Pwho brought her son’s girlfriend to Maypop for her birthday. Both coffee and gardening lovers, Angela and her guest were thrilled to have the better of each worlds – even in the summer heat.
“Maypop was definitely a hit, but the capacity didn’t impact our experience one bit,” Angela wrote in her review. “It was quite a hot day, but the staff didn’t seem concerned. In fact, they were much nicer than I would have been if I had been working in the heat. Kudos to all the staff, both internally and externally, for helping to give one of the best birthday presents my girlfriend has ever received.”
Customer service is a big a part of what makes Maypop such a popular place. The team provides expert knowledge on every thing from herbal teas to plant parenting, which Angela said has had a huge impact on her customer experience.
“They are professionals, so I trust they know what they are talking about,” he says. “I wouldn’t take it off the street, but going there, I felt a little more educated. They gave ideas for things they liked [from the cafe]. Hibiscus tea – I was hesitant to buy this, but it was delicious. It was very refreshing.”
A well-coordinated team is also an advantage when it involves… content on social media. For example, Valleroy recently collaborated with garden staff on a creation Instagram reel how one can plant a cactus without getting pricked. He says social media is an opportunity to teach customers while also showcasing the brand’s personality.
“Just make it fun and light at first,” he says. “You’ll feel higher over time. You all the time wish to have your face in front of you so that you just won’t be forgotten. I just imagine when I write a post that I’m talking to friends.”
This strategy works online because the Maypop team has also worked to ascertain friendly relationships on the ground. Building community is all the time at the forefront of Maypop’s mission, from its social media presence to its event strategy – like inviting vendors from across St. Louis to hitch the quarterly Maker’s Market.
“We carefully select local craftsmen who enjoy creating and sharing their passions,” says Valleroy. “It’s something that really brings the community together, lifts people’s spirits and raises awareness of small businesses in our area. It just feels good to help people, support our community and support each other.”
The Maypop Market is not only a great approach to build community, but also promotes the brand locally. Valleroy creates digital event flyers and encourages sellers to share them, empowering over 22,000 brands Instagram followers and proving that there are many great ones on the market marketing activations are free.
To further increase community engagement, Valleroy frequently reads and responds to Maypop reviews on Yelp. Engaging through feedback it shows that you just value each your customers and your team. For example, Valleroy displays reviews in the staff room encourage and motivate your team to repeatedly innovate and improve.
“We like to change things,” he says. “Every week when I come in on Monday, especially at the garden center, they’re moving things around and their displays, so when you walk in it feels new and fresh. At Maypop we are always evolving, always striving to do better.”
Since its founding in 2018, Maypop has built its thriving business on the following core principles:
- Attitude says a lot. When conditions are lower than ideal, customers appreciate your professionalism and knowledge much more. Helpful insights or thoughtful recommendations will come in very handy on a hot or busy day.
- Stay up so far via social media. Social media is a approach to connect with friends, so approach your social media strategy as if you were talking to a friend about something latest and fun. Even if your content is educationaluse an approachable and light-hearted tone.
- Keep it fresh and exciting. Whether you reconfigure your store every week or host seasonal community events, changing things up keeps your employees and customers motivated.
- Create events to support local small businesses. Empower other small business owners to develop into influencers for your brand. Not only will they receive free promotion, but your enterprise will gain free exposure.
- Provide employees with customer feedback. The key is to praise work well done and highlight areas for improvement motivating staff get ahead of ourselves.
Listen to the episode below to listen to directly from Valleroy and Angela and subscribe Behind the review for more information from latest business owners and reviewers every Thursday. Available on Spotify, Apple PodcastsAND Pandora.
Editorial contribution: Erin Palmero and Emily Moon
This article is a part of our ongoing America’s Favorite Mom and Pop Stores™ series, highlighting family-owned and -operated businesses.