Appu’s Café (Appu’s Turmeric Café) is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Long Beach offering affordable Indo-Mexican fusion cuisine with the tagline “Seriously Healthy Food!” Located near California State University, Long Beach, the café aims to serve students, faculty, and alumni seeking healthier dining options. The project’s overall goal was to increase brand awareness and student engagement by enhancing Appu’s digital presence through social media campaigns, newsletters, SEO improvements, and updated website content, while also promoting student discounts and community involvement. Ultimately, the team worked to position Appu’s as the go-to spot for plant-based, affordable meals and a welcoming study environment for the CSULB community.

Here's What I Did To Enhance Brand Awareness To College Students...

Social Media Posts



The social media strategy for Appu’s Café focused on creating engaging, student-centered content to boost awareness and drive foot traffic from the CSULB community. The team developed Instagram carousels, reels, and stories highlighting menu items, student discounts, and the café’s atmosphere as a welcoming study spot. Posts incorporated cultural and health themes, interactive content such as polls and Q&A, and “street interview” skits filmed on campus to resonate with students. The goal was to increase engagement, encourage user-generated content, and make Appu’s feel like a go-to hub for both dining and community connection.

Instagram Carousel Post: Finals Week Deals

“Finals week = stress eating? We got you 💚 Enjoy vegetarian comfort food that keeps you going. 🍲 Show your CSULB ID for 10% OFF! Call 📞 562-431-5120 or order at appuscafe.us” 💬 Tag your study crew & SAVE this post! #FinalsFuel #CSULBEats #AppusCafe #VegetarianEats

Street Interviews + Skits (Instagram Reels)

“Finals week = stress eating? We got you 💚 Enjoy vegetarian comfort food that keeps you going. 🍲 Show your CSULB ID for 10% OFF! Call 📞 562-431-5120 or order at appuscafe.us” 💬 Tag your study crew & SAVE this post! #FinalsFuel #CSULBEats #AppusCafe #VegetarianEats

Instagram Carousel Post: Study Space

Study Szn at Appu’s Finals Fuel never looked this good 😋 Study groups, mango lassi cheers, and your CSULB id = 10% OFF ALL WEEK LONG. 📍 Just minutes from campus 📞 562-431-5120 💻 appuscafe.us Tag your study squad 👇 #StudyAtAppus #FinalsFuel

SEO



The SEO strategy for Appu’s Café centered on making the restaurant more visible to CSULB students searching for nearby food and study spots. The team identified that the website lacked student-focused keywords and high-quality images, which limited its reach and professionalism. To improve this, they recommended incorporating terms like “CSULB,” “student discount,” and “study break” into titles and descriptions, as well as updating headings to be clear and scannable. High-quality photos were also suggested to increase time spent on the site, boost search rankings, and create a more polished, engaging online presence that better reflected the café’s brand.