A small coffee shop in the US has become a global phenomenon after publicly sharing its coffee recipe, demonstrating that in the age of social media, sharing can be a more powerful tool for spreading information than proprietary secrets.
A small coffee shop in Minnesota has inadvertently created a global phenomenon — simply by publicly sharing its recipe.
The drink, called the raspberry Danish latte, created by Little Joy Coffee in Northfield as a seasonal treat, quickly spread to dozens of countries after the owner posted a detailed tutorial video on social media in March.
Instead of keeping the secret, they shared the entire recipe with both home users and other businesses.
The ripple effect was almost immediate. An online map created by the shop documented hundreds of stores across continents — except Antarctica — adding the drink to their menus, attracting nearly 2 million views in a short period of time.
Its popularity spread so rapidly that even the cafe's staff were surprised to find a version of this coffee at a Dublin store during a trip .
"We still don't understand why it spread so far," said Cody Larson, the owner of the shop. "Initially, we simply thought of sharing it so people could make their own drinks at a lower cost."
The idea stemmed from a series of videos the cafe produced to guide customers on how to brew coffee at home, while also publicly disclosing ingredient costs. In the context of rising living costs in the US and many other countries, the founders wanted to help consumers understand the true value of a cup of coffee — and make more economical choices.
The drink consists of a layer of homemade raspberry syrup, milk, and strong coffee, topped with vanilla cream cheese and fresh raspberries. It sells for around $8 at the shop, but the simple recipe allows consumers to recreate it at a significantly lower cost.
The combination of easy reproducibility and the power of social media has transformed a local recipe into a global phenomenon. Numerous independent cafes across Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania quickly added it to their menus, each adapting it to their own style. Some even proactively contacted Little Joy Coffee to get their name on the global map.
"I think each shop will have a slightly different approach, and that's perfectly normal," Larson said. "Customers also understand that the same drink name can have a different flavor at different places."
The effect wasn't just spreading online; it also drew customers directly to the store. "Some people drove two hours just to try this," said Serena Walker, the store manager. "We only found out later that they had posted about their trip online."
What surprised Larson wasn't the increase in followers, but the speed at which a publicly shared recipe could be replicated on a global scale.
"I still don't understand why it spread so far," he said. "Now I'm just thinking about what to do next with all this attention."