Jason Davis

• Specialty coffee shop with three locations has used social media to remain viable
• At one point, sales dropped 80%, says owner Nathan Hamood
• Dessert Oasis turned to curbside pickup, online sales, brew-at-home tools

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee shop with locations in Royal Oak, Rochester and Detroit, has used social media as a way to remain viable for the better part of the last year.

Owner Nathan Hamood, 25, said platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have allowed him to connect with customers, particularly early on when he didn’t have the funds to advertise elsewhere. As the business grew, Hamood, 13 years old when the family business was established in 2009, used paid Facebook ads to triple the business’ online sales. Social media, Hamood said, made it possible for Dessert Oasis to compete with larger coffee shops.

“We’ve had a lot of engagement on social media,” Hamood said. “It’s been big for us for quite a while. I don’t think we have the most (followers), but I feel like we have a really strong following.”

At one point during the pandemic, Dessert Oasis sales dropped 80 percent. Hamood and his staff of 48, which has remained intact over the past year, moved quickly. The business implemented curbside pickup and to-go orders while also tightening spending.

Creativity has allowed Dessert Oasis to thrive. The company, with indoor dining capacity limits in place, has entered into online sales, and ships its coffee and brew-at-home tools nationwide.

“We hadn’t really capitalized on the e-commerce side before the pandemic,” Hamood said, adding that Dessert Oasis ended 2020 within 20 percent of its 2019 sales figures thanks in part to online sales. “That has really helped to supplement in-store sales.”

The three shops reopened for in-person service on Feb. 1. Hamood said he’ll limit seating times, while also following state guidelines. At 25 percent capacity, the threshold set by the state health department, Dessert Oasis locations, at about 3,000 square feet each, would be able to allow 20 customers inside at a time.

Hamood, who last year implemented employer-contributed health insurance for employees, said there has been some worry among employees about reopening. The Dessert Oasis owner said he would not reopen if he couldn’t do it safely.

The shift to nationwide online sales has helped immensely, he said. Hamood isn’t sure opening at limited capacity will add much to his and other businesses’ bottom lines.

“Post-holiday season, it’s certainly a more gruesome time for sales,” Hamood said. “A lot of businesses were good with their holiday sales, but things have dropped off. I think (opening at 25 percent capacity) will still be worth it. Picturing a full cafe now sounds great, but it’s not responsible.”