# Complimentary Student Cafes The US' First Shiru Café Will Offer Free Coffee to College Students By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-12-15 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/student-cafe References: [specialtyfood](https://www.specialtyfood.com/news/article/cafe-offers-free-coffee-launching-us-college-markets/) & [global-shirucafe](http://global-shirucafe.com/stores.php) In addition to the many Shiru Café locations that are open in Japan, Enrission America Inc. will be launching its first-ever student cafe at [Brown University](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-browns-electrolyte-solution). To the delight of many tired college American students, Shiru Café sets itself apart by providing free coffee to college students. The student-targeted cafes offer a comfortable place to study, complete with plenty of electrical outlets and access to WiFi. Shiru Café is financed through corporate sponsorships, meaning that the students, staff and faculty members who frequent the cafe will receive promotional materials with their free beverages. Alongside the student cafe that is currently under construction at Brown University, Japan's Enrission America Inc. is also developing new locations at [Harvard](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/goldie-dog-essentials), Yale, [Princeton](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/brain-formula) and Amherst College, as well as others overseas in India. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 14% | Activity: 22% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Drinking](https://www.trendhunter.com/drinking) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Free Student Cafes:** Providing complimentary beverages and workspace to college students is becoming a trend in the food and beverage industry. - **Corporate Sponsorships for Student Cafes:** More businesses are sponsoring student cafes and utilizing them as a marketing opportunity to reach a young demographic. - **Expansion of Student Cafe Chains:** Student-targeted cafe chains are expanding to more university campuses and overseas locations, showing a growing demand for this type of service. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food and Beverage:** The food and beverage industry can take advantage of the trend of free student cafes by offering promotions and sponsorship opportunities to reach a young demographic. - **Marketing and Advertising:** The marketing and advertising industry can utilize corporate sponsorships for student cafes to reach a specific target audience and create brand awareness. - **Higher Education:** The higher education industry can partner with or create their own student cafes to provide a valuable service to students while also promoting their brand. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Free College-Targeted Giveaways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rokuthemed-van.md) - [Coffee Retail Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/good-earth-coffeehouses.md) - [Free Coffee Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/free-coffee-promotion.md) - [Kid-Friendly Cafes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-in-osaka.md) - [Collaborative Coffee Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-expansion.md) - [Student-Targeted Delivery Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/college-student-membership-program.md) - [Collegiate Dining Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bruxie-dining-concept.md) - [College-Targeted Food Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-one-shop.md) - [Hyper-Personalized Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-free-coffee.md)