Business & Tech

100 Get Free Coffee for a Year, Including This Guy

The new Corner Bakery Cafe opened for business in Cranston this morning.

Scott Cote got up early this morning before 6:30 a.m. and got in line with more than 100 other people outside the new Corner Bakery Cafe in Garden City Center.

About fifteen minutes later, he was sipping a fresh cup of coffee — on the house. And chances are he'll be enjoying that free coffee again, and again, and again.

Cote, along with 100 others who were willing to wait in line for the grand opening of the new cafe and restaurant were rewarded with a stainless steel travel mug and a promise that from now until next year, that mug will get them a free refill.

"It went super smooth," Cote said. "I was only out in the cold for about 15 minutes before they opened."

Someone did camp out as early as 3 a.m., said Janice Pascone, director of marketing for the popular shopping center. 

"It was great," Pascone said. She didn't make it in time for the moment the doors first opened, but she said she had lunch and breakfast already. 

For Cote, the mug and free coffee will come in handy since he works right off Sockanosset Cross Road.

"I'll be using it quite a bit before work during the week."

Cote said he found out about the promotion to celebrate the grand opening of the new cafe on Twitter when we tweeted about it last week.

And he better hold on to that mug. It is perhaps one of the most valuable mugs around, if you consider how much free coffee a year is really worth. Anyone with a coffee addiction who has combed through a bank statement to add up those coffees knows first hand.

A few hours after those 100 people got their mugs, Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung was on hand for a ribbon cutting to mark the start of operations for the new shop.

Corner Bakery Cafe describes itself as a fast-casual restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was established in 1991 and now has more than 160 locations across the country.


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