CNN
 — 

A coffee shop in Middleborough, Massachusetts, went viral overnight for offering free coffee to customers who entered the shop while dancing.

A video of customers participating in the promotion was posted on Coffee Milano Café’s TikTok account on Monday and has since been viewed over 5 million times as of Wednesday afternoon.

The viral post highlights how businesses are finding new customers by amping up their online presence, moving away from traditional marketing methods that are not delivering the same reach anymore.

Owner Josh Rashid told CNN that business picked up after the video was posted, attracting curious new customers while delighting cafe regulars.

“We’re a small little town here in Middleborough, and it’s fun. A couple of people were in the store when it happened, and they came in the next day and said, ‘Oh my gosh, I saw your video on my For You page,’” he said.

Inspired by a similar promotion by a pizza shop, Rashid posted a sign telling customers they would receive a free coffee if they danced for five seconds. The sign also informed them that they would be filmed and featured on the cafe’s social media.

Rashid told CNN that the cafe’s TikTok account gained over 10,000 followers since the video was posted, up from roughly 4,000 followers.

“Small businesses really need to be on these platforms where potential customers are searching,” said Kristyn Shay, social media director at SCORE, a nonprofit offering resources for small business owners. “It’s really an exciting time for small businesses to go viral on platforms like TikTok and be where younger potential customers are hanging out.”

Rashid told CNN that the staff had only started creating short, playful videos using trending TikTok sounds four weeks ago when he decided to shake up their marketing strategy.

“We’re in a digital world and word of mouth is great, but at the same time, we’re glued to our phones,” he said. “It just shows us how powerful social media is, and as a business owner, we have to adapt and do what we can.”

Rashid said that the reaction to the cafe’s promotion was so positive that he plans to bring back the deal every month. But it comes with a catch.

He said he would not post an announcement or schedule an official date. Instead, he plans on leaving “Easter eggs” across the cafe’s social media for customers to find hints to future promotions.

“When you have a viral moment, it’s an indicator that you’re doing something right,” Shay said. “Maybe you tested a new strategy. Maybe that strategy was to be a little bit more silly and the audience responded to that.”

And to those who worry about the cafe losing out on profits, Rashid says it’s not a problem.

“You’ve got to have some joy in this world, and if a little five second dance brings you joy, then it’s worth the free coffee.”

The brush fires continue to burn in Massachusetts.

A major brush fire erupted at Blue Hills Reservation on Monday night, and crews continued to battle the blaze Tuesday.

In Braintree, a brush fire was reported in the woods near Skyline Drive on Monday.

“Fire will continue to smolder deep underground until we have a soaking rain,” states the Braintree Fire Department’s Instagram page.

On top of the major brush fires this week, the alerts for fires kept coming in consistently from Nov. 19-20. Using Dataminr, there were 10 notifications reported in Massachusetts by noon on Nov. 20 and 14 fires reported on Nov. 19.

See map of where fires are burning in MA

The National Weather Service is continuing to warn residents that the state is at high risk for fires, issuing a special advisory on Wednesday.

“The combination of prolonged dry weather and low relative humidities will contribute to elevated fire weather concerns Wednesday across Massachusetts. Obey fire bans, keep vehicles off dry grass and use extra caution if handling any potential ignition sources,” the agency said.

Brush fires/fire alerts today, Nov. 20

These alerts come from Dataminr.

• Brush fire burns on 0 block of Mulberry St. in Groveland
• Fire reported on 10 block of Overland St. Southbridge
• Butternut Fire burns at 1,100 acres on East Mountain Rd. in Great Barrington
• Fire reported on Great Neck Rd. South, Mashpee
• Fire reported on 110 block of Townsend St. Worcester
• Fire reported on Western Ave. Lynn
• Fire reported on 200 block of Walnut Plain Rd. Rochester
• Fire reported on 70 block of Wales St. Taunton
• Brush fire prompts emergency response near Donald E Ross Elementary School on 20 block of Hayward St. in Braintree
• Fire reported on Oakmont St. Webster

Brush fires/fires alerts on Nov. 19

• Fire reported on 900 block of South St. Southbridge
• Fire reported at intersection of Essex Street and Hampshire St. Lawrence
• Fire reported on Methuen St. Lowell
• Fire reported on 0 block of Shrewsbury St. Worcester
• Fire reported on Azalea Rd. Winchester
• Fire reported on Sycamore St. Westfield
• Fire reported on 0 block of Wakefield Ave. Saugus
• Fire reported on Rockland St. Abington
• Fire reported on 300 block of Cherry St. Newton
• Fire reported on 20 block of Virginia St. Dorchester
• Fire reported on 200 block of Rockland St. Hanover
• Three-alarm brush fire burns on 230 block of Topsfield Rd. in Wenham
• Fire reported on 10 block of Colonial Ave. Lowell
• Brush fire burns at Cedar Glen Golf Course on 60 block of Water St. in Saugus

Is this a bad season for brush fires in Massachusetts?

Yes.

The Carver Fire Department reported on Facebook that the average number of November brush fires in Massachusetts is 21.

“So far for November 2024 we are at 292 with over 700 acres burned” for the state, the department noted.

State fire officials report that there were 175 wildfires that continued to be an issue across Massachusetts earlier this month on Nov. 9.

Mass.gov stated that there were 203 brush fires in Massachusetts during the month of October, which is an increase of about 1,200% over the average. Typically, there are only about 15 brush fires in October.

How bad is the drought in Massachusetts?

As of this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor recently showed that dry conditions in Massachusetts keep getting worse.

That’s because the state really hasn’t seen any significant rain since September, with precipitation totals in October being low.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs declared a Level 3 – Critical Drought for the central and northeast regions parts of Massachusetts late last week.

The U.S. Drought Monitor currently classifies just over 66% of the state as being in a severe drought covering most of the Boston area, North shore, Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts. Other parts of the state are considered to be in a moderate drought, while the Cape and Islands are currently classified as abnormally dry.

Is there any rain on the way? If so, will it help?

The National Weather Service stated that a “slow-moving frontal system” will bring overcast skies and rain Thursday into Friday, “which could mix with wet snow at locations above 1,500 feet elevation.”

Meteorologist Candice Hrencecin of the National Weather Service branch in Norton told USA Today Network on Tuesday, Nov. 19, that “about an inch of rain” can be expected this Thursday into Friday.

But after Thursday, the weather is supposed to dry up again, she added.

Regarding whether the forecasted rain would stop the drought, Hrencecin said, “Definitely not,” but she added it would help quench any ongoing brush fires.