“You need to be an event business”

“It’s not enough to be a hospitality business anymore,” small-business owner Shelley Pippin says. “You need to be an event business.”

Here’s why Brewnuts has been so successful at using events to carve out a niche for themselves, and what small- and medium-sized business marketers can learn from “Ohio’s first and only doughnut bar,” regardless of your industry.

---

Meet the Master

Shelley Pippin

Founder and co-owner, Brewnuts

When you think of bar food, you probably think of things like burgers and sandwiches.

But Cleveland-based Brewnuts has a different vision: As Brewnuts’ “Ohio’s first and only doughnut bar,” as co-owner and founder Shelley Pippin puts it, the business pairs a carefully curated selection of beer and coffee drinks with a rotating selection of homemade doughnuts.

For Brewnuts, their menu is just the (sweet) start, however. “It’s not enough to be a hospitality business anymore,” Pippin says. “You need to be an event business.”

In addition to a menu of brews and dones, Brewnuts books weekends celebrating holidays (Halloween), pop culture (Twilight) and fandom lore (an annual December toast to Taylor Swift’s birthday called “Taylor Fest”). These special events often come with unique coffee drinks or theme-specific doughnuts; for example, a “Boston Scream!” for spooky season.

Photo credit: Emily Drapp

“I love creating things, and I see my job as being responsible for surprising and delighting people,” Pippin says. “That’s why I love the hospitality industry. It’s a place where you have the opportunity to create experiences for people. It really is about providing that little slice of escape and joy.”

Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of surprise, delight, and joy. Whether you’re selling doughnuts or databases, think about what experiences you can create for people.

---

Divide and Conquer

Pippin cut her teeth working in partnership marketing, sponsorships, and client work, so she excels at handling the creative ideation side of Brewnuts — a job that encompasses things such as menu development, event planning, and social media content creation.

Photo credit: Shelley Pippin

“I love the inspiration part,” she says. “Those things tend to just pop into my brain, and I‘m like, ‘Yep, and here’s 25 ideas about how I want to do that.’”

But from a business standpoint, Brewnuts is well balanced because co-founder (and Pippin’s husband) John has a background in accounting and finance.

“He handles a lot more of our operations,” she says. “It‘s great to have all the ideas in the world. But if you don’t understand how to run a functional business in terms of making the numbers work, it’s all for naught.”

Takeaway: Even the scrappiest marketing team can’t do it all. Lean into your strengths, and join forces with co-workers (or co-founders) who will provide some balance.

---

Sometimes Excitement is Enough

Pippin will work with one of the doughnut decorators (who happens to be a talented photographer) on graphics and promotional materials. Otherwise, she doesn’t outsource the marketing activities because she has a specific vision for Brewnuts’ brand voice — and knows it works.

“When I want to hype something, I want to hype it in a certain way, and I want people to feel a certain amount of energy about it,” she says. “At this point, I haven’t found a way to communicate that to someone else.”

This confidence translates to event planning. For instance, although the annual Taylor Fests have become bigger and bigger each year (just like Swift’s career!) Pippin wrote the 2025 iteration of the menu in August in about half an hour.

Photo credit: Shelley Pippin

“If I‘m getting that excited about it, I don’t second guess it,” she says of planning these larger-scale events. “If it‘s something that I’m having a whole lot of creativity around, that tends to tell me everything I need to know, because I know there’s probably other people out there that are going to feel that same way.”

Takeaway: Data is important, but it’s not everything. Sometimes you gotta go with your gut. If you’re having a hard time persuading your boss that your excitement merits a budget, follow Pippin’s lead and start small. Pilot your idea, measure the ROI, and grow a little bigger each year.

---

Cater to Your Community

Brewnuts incorporates customer passions into their marketing strategy. Over the years, they’ve planned events centered around The Office, Star Wars, and Home Alone. However, Brewnuts’ events and marketing come from a place of sincerity — and inclusion.

“We really made a point to plant our flag and say what we’re about, and be clear about our values, and [that we’re] about being a space for the whole community,” Pippin says.

Photo credit: Emily Drapp

This mindset also explains why Brewnuts is thoughtful (and deliberate) about the events they plan, including by making sure their interests and passions align with what guests want.

“We‘ve had things come up where people say, ‘Why don’t you do an XYZ weekend?’” Pippin says. “I don‘t necessarily want to do that if it’s something that we don’t have a true fans’ perspective on.”

Takeaway: You don’t have to jump on every trend. As tempting as it might be to do a Star Wars tie-in for your tech company, if it doesn’t reflect your values or build community, it’s okay to skip this one.

---

A Hospitality Mindset

Pippin and her husband are hands-on owners who stay connected to guests via many different channels. For example, Brewnuts sends out a monthly newsletter and maintains a robust social media presence.

“We‘re definitely not absentee owners,” Pippin says. “We’re very much present in our space and in our social media.”

By staying so connected, Brewnuts has a deeper understanding of their audience — and how to reach new customers.

“In a lot of ways, we try to throw events that are for groups of people that maybe don’t feel like they have a home base,” Pippin says. “I like trying to spot niche groups that maybe feel, like, ‘Hey, nobody throws an event for us.’”

At the end of the day, Pippin stresses the importance of gratitude and shares that she never takes any support for granted.

“It is never lost on me that someone is choosing to spend their hard-earned money at my place,” she says. “[This] is really important to keep in the forefront at all times.”

Takeaway: Maintain a hospitality mindset. Brewnuts doesn’t throw events just for the sake of having a Halloween tie-in; it uses newsletters, social media, and customer interactions to segment its consumers and make them feel welcome.