Strategic launch turns Café de Madrid into Oakville’s new go-to café

Café de Madrid came to us as a brand new concept in a space that was still under construction, located in Oakville Ontario. In just a few months, we helped them go from no logo, no website, and no social presence to a fully booked grand opening! Also building a loyal local community before the first Spanish churro was even served.

year

2025

Client

Café de Madrid

timeline

11 Months

year

2025

Client

Café de Madrid

timeline

11 Months

year

2025

Client

Café de Madrid

timeline

11 Months

The Challenges

New Brand, Zero Awareness

As a completely new café in Oakville, Café de Madrid had no existing audience or reputation to lean on. We needed to build excitement from scratch in a small city of ~240K people.

No Digital or Brand Foundation

When we first met, the interior was still a construction site. There was no finalized logo, menu, signage, website, or content yet. The opening date was quickly approaching, just 4 months ahead.

High Expectations for Grand Opening

They wanted a standout grand opening: strong foot traffic, a loyal local following, and a brand that felt established from day one! Not like a typical first-time small business.

The Challenges

New Brand, Zero Awareness

As a completely new café in Oakville, Café de Madrid had no existing audience or reputation to lean on. We needed to build excitement from scratch in a small city of ~240K people.

No Digital or Brand Foundation

When we first met, the interior was still a construction site. There was no finalized logo, menu, signage, website, or content yet. The opening date was quickly approaching, just 4 months ahead.

High Expectations for Grand Opening

They wanted a standout grand opening: strong foot traffic, a loyal local following, and a brand that felt established from day one! Not like a typical first-time small business.

The Challenges

New Brand, Zero Awareness

As a completely new café in Oakville, Café de Madrid had no existing audience or reputation to lean on. We needed to build excitement from scratch in a small city of ~240K people.

No Digital or Brand Foundation

When we first met, the interior was still a construction site. There was no finalized logo, menu, signage, website, or content yet. The opening date was quickly approaching, just 4 months ahead.

High Expectations for Grand Opening

They wanted a standout grand opening: strong foot traffic, a loyal local following, and a brand that felt established from day one! Not like a typical first-time small business.

The Solutions

Houze Media led an end-to-end launch strategy, handling everything from branding and content to paid media and community building. Our goal was simple: make Café de Madrid feel like Oakville’s newest destination café before the doors even opened.

Built the Brand From the Ground Up
Designed the logo, visual identity, menu, signage, and overall look and feel—ensuring every touchpoint matched the warm, nostalgic, churro-café concept.

Launched a Full Digital Ecosystem
Created the website, set up Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google profiles, and established content pillars with high-quality photo and video assets.

Always-On Pre-Opening Campaigns
Ran geo-targeted campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google from February to the June 7th opening, focusing on Oakville and surrounding cities.

Opening Week Storytelling & Social Proof
Covered the grand opening with photo/video content, published thank-you posts, and highlighted key moments—including a visit from NBA player Shai—which reinforced hype and credibility.