The story of a thousand coffee cup sleeves begins with one sip.
We’ve got a story to tell you.
Photo: Jess Watson, founder of Have A Nice Day Project, working on event signage.
One day a long time ago (2015) in a place far, far away (Baltimore), an ambitious young lady with freckles (Jess Watson) met her friend in a national-chain café. When the barista handed them their coffee order, the sleeves on the cups were blank.
Just a few weeks prior, the sleeves had inspirational quotes printed on them. They were both bummed to find that the quotes were a seasonal promotion and not a permanent fixture of the café. That day, they wrote their own message on our sleeves and didn’t think much about it.
A couple of days later …
That same freckled-face lady ordered coffee from her local spot, Koba Café on Fort Avenue in Federal Hill. Adam, the owner, knows her by name and also knows her order by heart.
Local cafés are neighborhood gems and staples in the communities where they reside. She felt warm and fuzzy until she looked down at her coffee cup sleeve and found an advertisement that had nothing to do with Baltimore.
"What’s this?" she asked Adam.
"A sales rep dropped them off,” he replied. “They were given to us for free.”
From these two experiences, she gathered that all she had to do to get a nice message distributed on a coffee cup sleeve, was to write the messages and then donate the sleeves to her favorite cafés. Challenge excepted. Thousands of blank coffee cup sleeves later, Have A Nice Day Project is the most unique way to send well wishes to another person in Baltimore city.
Sometimes the smallest gestures make the biggest impact.
Thousands of Coffee Cup Sleeves
We started by hosting a simple gathering on the second floor of Koba Café, where we provided markers, blank sleeves, and suggested affirmations. From there, something magical happened.
People started to get creative, to mix and mingle, to sit with strangers and share stories. Over the years, the project has gained momentum. We started hosting Have A Nice Day in several locations around the city, including REV Cycle Studio, Betamore, Spark Baltimore, The Elephant, Handlebar Cafe, Wet City, Suspended Brewing, and more.
Some of the places we’ve donated to include Koba Cafe (Federal Hill), OneDo Coffee (Canton), Artifact Coffee (Hampden), Bird in Hand (Charles Village), Charm City Books (Pigtown), and more. We are super thankful to all the friends, colleagues, and community partners who over the years have helped keep this project going.
This is the one event where you can come as you are.
It’s not uncommon to see a man in a business suit sitting next to a woman in yoga pants, sharing a table with a mom teaching her daughter how to write “be kind” on a sleeve. We love connecting with people in the community, and also bringing them together in the spirit of giving back. Let's keep the good vibes flowing.
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What People Are Saying
“
I love the Have A Nice Day events, not just because they’re a wonderful way to meet new people with great vibes, BUT we also get to share our creativity and inspiration with others. Now that’s a win-win!
”
— CHELSEA B.
Your neighbor in Fells Point
“
I have participated in the Have A Nice Day Project several times. I am not sure what makes me happier - getting together with people to create the sleeves or seeing people walk around town with their coffee and positive messages. This truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
”
— GINA R.
Your neighbor in Mt. Washington
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