North County San Diego offers plenty of friendly coffee shops to explore. Whether you're searching for the perfect breakfast menu for a family gathering or local restaurants to grab a cup of coffee, there are so many amazing options near Encinitas. This town is really the perfect location to find a cool cafe especially if you love beach vibes, cool breezes, and the smell of salt in the air. Want to eat in or get takeout? You can always enjoy a cup of coffee in this fun beach town.

Better Buzz

Better Buzz Coffee Encinitas 

Better Buzz offers single-origin espresso drinks like macchiato, latte, cortado, to name a couple. Their handcrafted drinks, served hot or cold, include options such as Best Drink Ever® (classic americano with their signature creamy vanilla), Honey Latte (espresso, creamy vanilla, honey, steamed milk), and more goodies to sip on. They also have teas, smoothies, sandwiches, fancy toasts, and cold brew on tap. Free Wi-Fi, open for takeout, dogs are allowed, vegan options too.

Address: 578 S Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 487-5562

Website: Better Buzz Encinitas

Bump Coffee

This cool little coffee shop is located in Cardiff by the Sea park; it has a hole-in-the-wall vibe that you might just walk by on accident. Bump Coffee selects high-quality ingredients from geographically diverse regions in South America. Come for the coffee but stay for the empanadas. Don't miss out because they are a customer favorite. 

Address: 126 Aberdeen Dr, Cardiff, CA 92007 

Phone: (760) 420-4021

Website: Bump Coffee

Coffee Coffee 

In this space, you'll find organic coffee roasted on-site by Revolution Roasters. The aroma smells delicious. Get a bite to eat from Coffee Coffee's breakfast menu with food such as the Jose Especial made with scrambled egg, spinach, tomato, red onion topped with avocado and feta. Pick between the housemade salsa fresca or choice of bread. lox bagel, acai bowl, avocado toast, breakfast wrap, and a lot more. They serve lunch too if you want to come for an afternoon meal.

Address: 970 N Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 436-2233

Website: Coffee Coffee

Related reading: Things to Do in Encinitas: North County San Diego Gem

Encinitas Cafe 

This cafe has a long history in town, originating in the 1930s as Fred's Cafe, then known as Zim's cafe into the 1950s. By 1960, the name was The Coffee Mill. The Encinitas Cafe name has stuck since 1989. If you're on the hunt for food, as in a full-on breakfast brunch, lunch menu scenario, this is the perfect spot to check out. Encinitas Cafe has an extensive four-page menu filled with breakfast classics such as delicious eggs benedict, mimosa, scrambles and lunch items like burgers, soup, salads, and hot open-faced sandwiches.

Address: 531 S Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 632-0919

Website: Encinitas Cafe

GOODONYA® Organic Eatery 

Find organic coffee and tea, such as a classic espresso to the Repair latte with collagen, lucuma, raw honey. From breakfast scrambles to organic sandwiches and salads, GOODONYA® offers a variety of organic, non-GMO goodies. This is one of those restaurants that has a little bit of everything. Open for delivery, takeout, curbside pickup, sit-down dining, outdoor seating, you name it.

Address: 1051 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

Phone: (858) 264-8550

Website: GOODONYA® Organic Eatery 

Lil Jungle Java 

On a mission to support small businesses? Then this coffee shop is worth your time. Available in the drive-through/takeout only, you can pick up a quickie drink before heading to work or on your next errand. Located in Encinitas Village Square II, Lil Jungle Java is a local favorite and hidden gem because it's a coffee stand versus a larger shop. 

Address: 1500 Encinitas Blvd 

Phone: (760) 917-5589

Related reading: Carlsbad Coffee Shops: Best Coffee in Carlsbad, California

Lofty Coffee

Lofty Coffee Company 

Lofty is a popular spot with multiple locations in San Diego County. I also included Lofty Coffee in my Carlsbad Coffee Shops guide: Searching for the Best Coffee in Carlsbad, California. This coffee shop has outdoor seating too. They serve coffee, tea, hand-rolled croissants, muffins, and cookies. They have goodies such as their house coffee, Kyoto-style cold brew, Iced Hibiscus Lemon Grass and Blood Orange Tea, baked from scratch pastry and dessert such as almond croissant.

Address: 90 N Coast Hwy 101 #214

Phone: (760) 230-6747

Lofty Coffee Encinitas Roasting Works

Address: 97 N Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 230-6747

Website: Lofty Coffee Encinitas

Ironsmith Coffee Roasters

Ironsmith Coffee Roasters 

Order ahead to takeout and pick up at the counter or stay around to enjoy your beverage. Ironsmith Coffee Roasters is an independent coffee shop and roastery that sells espresso drinks, specialty drinks, tea, chai tea, hot chocolate, and retail bag coffee to purchase to make at home. Roasts on pour might range so be sure to ask what they have or check their current menu.

Address: 458 S Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (626) 429-6397

Website: Ironsmith Coffee Roasters

Pannikin Coffee & Tea 

Pannikin has been serving the local community with coffee, tea, and other baked goodies since 1968. This family-owned and operated business based in the heart of Leucadia, California roasts coffee and bakes daily for all four Pannikin locations in San Diego County. The Encinitas CA Pannikin is located in a historic Santa Fe Railroad Station built in 1888.

Address: 510 N Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 436-5824

Website: Pannikin Coffee & Tea

Peet's Coffee 

You might have heard of this coffee shop chain that sells handcrafted espresso beverages, freshly made coffee, Mighty Leaf teas, as well as warm breakfast. Peet's Coffee in Encinitas Village Shopping Center has the Peet's standard range of menu including hot coffee, seasonal drings, hot tea, iced drinks, and more.

Address: 1486 Encinitas Blvd

Phone: (760) 274-1280

Website: Peet's Coffee

Philz Coffee 

Philz Coffee has quite a few locations throughout California as well as Chicago and the D.C Metro area. They serve some pretty interesting drinks in their featured creations, from Iced Coffee Rosé smooth and sweet iced coffee, topped with subtle rose cream to the Tesora, original coffee blend, which they recommend with cream and honey. 

Address: 1060 S Coast Hwy 101

Phone: (760) 230-6880

Website: Philz Coffee

Surfdog's Java Hut - Temporarily Closed

Address: 1126 S Coast Hwy 101

Woodsy Coffee

This spot offers menu items such as the beet hummus toast or the buttermilk biscuit served with maple butter and local jam. They have specialty lattes like honey lavender and salted maple, coffee drinks, tea, and smoothies too!

Address: 875 Santa Fe Dr

Phone: (760) 452-6380

Website: Woodsy Coffee

Zumbar Coffee & Tea 

Established in 2003, this San Diego boutique coffee roaster has locations in Sorrento Valley and Cardiff. Zumbar Coffee & Tea sells, you guessed it, coffee and tea: espressos to 16 oz. cold brew coffee to locally baked almond croissants. People tend to love the friendly service and good prices.

Address: 111 Chesterfield Dr #115, Cardiff, CA 92007

Website: Zumbar Coffee & Tea

Coffee, Tea, and More in North County San Diego

Grab a cup of coffee then head near Moonlight Beach to watch the waves ebb and flow. Encinitas CA is close to Carlsbad/Carlsbad Village. You can also find a range of cafes in the area as well. These are more than what you'd consider an average coffee shop. L’Atelier de Paris is popular for its drool-worthy desserts. Visit a couple of coffee shops and savor the gift of caffeine. Click here to visit Encinitas Visitors Center website.

Flour & Branch

Sukrin

For Joy

The Scottish Grocer

I love to travel and go to grocery stores; it's not only one of my favorite parts of travel, but of life itself. I thrive off of trying new-to-me foods. The Scottish Grocer imports fine, authentic foods, fabrics and clothing from Scotland. The ship to the US & Canada. The Stockans Thick Oatcakes (Red Pack) are super tasty, almost Triscuit-esque. Can't wait to travel to Scotland but until then a taste of Scotland will suffice.

I celebrated my 30th birthday in April 2020, the start of COVID in the US. Coronavirus was so new & everything was still closed. We didn't really know what was going on or how things would turn out. This was probably at the peak of the toilet paper shortage where people were just panic buying things.

I remember a little chain blocking entry to the local parks. Reflecting back, I can understand why I felt bummed. to have another trip around the sun without celebrating with my friends or family, except via phone call or if someone was kind enough to do a drive-by birthday honk in their car. It felt a bit lonely but we made it work. So I totally understand if your special birthday or a loved one's birthday just doesn't feel the same, that's why this list exists to give you some ideas!

Things are a bit more hopeful now that restaurants, small businesses, movie theatres, hair salons, thrift stores, are open & accommodating social distancing. Face masks are just a part of life now. However, this list is a general list of things to do in the years to come! There are probably some great virtual options to nearly everything on this list, including going to a concert or even a cooking class.

What should I do on my birthday? What can I do for my birthday at home? What should I do on my birthday in lockdown? What is a unique way to celebrate your birthday?

Whether you want to celebrate with friends and family or keep it lowkey, this is a big huge list of things to do on your birthday. You'll find something or a couple of ideas that you might want to do. There are even virtual options games & activities. This is your year to live your best life! These are some of the best things to do on your birthday, from virtual activities to board games to ordering take out. There are a bunch of things to do on your birthday during COVID too!

Food Activities

Bake a unique birthday cake

Take a cooking class or virtual cooking class 

Order from your favorite restaurant

Eat breakfast or brunch at a restaurant

Make your favorite home-cooked meal

Make food completely from scratch 

Cook something new

Buy a cookbook 

Have an outdoor picnic at the park

Stay inside for an indoor picnic

Go to a farmers market

Go beer or wine tasting

Food truck hop and try multiple dishes

Book a food tour

Try the top-rated restaurants in your city

Activities

Go bowling

Go to a comedy show 

Go to a concert 

Go to a music festival

Go rock climbing 

Play tennis

Play billiards

Rent a karaoke machine and sing your heart out

See a musical show

Volunteer for your favorite charity organization

Attend a show taping

Visit a museum 

Visit a planetarium or observatory

Visit a theme park (Disneyland Park, Universal Studios, etc.)

Go to a water park

Go to a trampoline park

Go somewhere historic

Have a pool party 

Nature Things to Do

Buy some new plants

Go to a botanical garden

Go on a hike

Go bird watching

Climb a tree

Enjoy time in nature

Collect cool rocks on a walk

Search for four-leaf clovers

Enjoy a day at the beach

Visit a local creek, river, lake, lagoon, pond

Swim at the beach or pool

Watch the clouds go by &

Go stargazing

Go cloud watching

Build a snowman or have a snow fight

COVID-Friendly Things to Do

Host a birthday parade where friends/family drive by in their car

Host a virtual party on Zoom or Google Meet with friends, family, loved ones

Do virtual karaoke

Have a free at-home spa day using all the items you already own 

Play Bingo

Play a board game (such as Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Backgammon, Trivial Pursuit)

Play card games

Play Psych

Play Would You Rather

Play Truth or Dare

Chill Things to Do

Have a night out with your friends

Have a slumber party with your closest friends or relatives

Host a movie marathon of your favorite movies

Read your favorite book

Make a list of things you want to do this year

Enjoy time around family

Make yourself a music playlist of your favorite songs you discovered in the past year

Watch movies you've never seen before

Donate to charity

Things to do Alone

Unique Things To Do

Get yourself a gift you've always wanted

Get a piercing

Get a tattoo

Get a room at a local hotel for a staycation

Spend the night in a haunted house 

Spend the night in a lighthouse

Spend the night in a treehouse

Go bungee jumping 

Go skydiving 

Go on a hot air balloon ride 

Go on a helicopter ride 

People often plan trips to popular destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Vegas, New York City for their birthday. Things to do on your birthday don't always have to be amazing, grand extravaganzas. Sometimes it's popping a pizza from the grocery store in the oven & watching something with one of your friends. Well, sometimes those simple days turn into fun memories you'll always carry with you.

From Amazon: Birthday Girl Sash & Rhinestone Tiara Kit - Rose Gold Birthday Gifts Glitter Birthday Sash Birthday Party Favors. Click here to shop!

There are so many fun things you can do to enjoy a special birthday celebration or birthday party, whether it's virtually or in person. It's up to you, what you feel comfortable with, what's going on in your area, & if the people around you feel like getting together to do something fun or want to keep it digital. You can rock it either way!

Blue Happy Birthday Decorations for Men - Navy Blue Silver Birthday Decoration Set with Birthday Banner, Blue Silver Confetti Balloons, Paper Pom Poms and Hanging Swirls for Men Women Boys Girls Birthday Party Decor. Click here to shop!

Everyone deserves an amazing birthday celebration. The best way to celebrate your birthday is to do something you love. While it may not be feasible to have a super eventful experience every year filled with good times and one-of-a-kind memories, you can still make it the best it can be. Sometimes you want some ideas to celebrate, sometimes you want a big ol' party, sometimes you simply can't think of anything fun. There are plenty of ways to experience a special day, even if you stay at home.

There are a lot of free things to do on your birthday too. You can celebrate your fun day trying to knock off as many ideas from this list as you can complete.

As a therapist, you already have enough on your plate, so adding marketing and social media content to the mix can feel paralyzingly overwhelming. There are multiple platforms out there, multiple review websites (where a disgruntled client can leave a negative review), there are so many ideas floating around. 

Who do you listen to? 

What does it take to make progress online, to find new clients or referrals? 

How does social media marketing benefit my practice? 

Why is this even important and does it even apply to my therapy practice? 

Is there someone who specializes in marketing strategies for therapists and private practices? 

Do I need a website?

Do I need to set up paid ads? 

Learn how marketing can help your practice thrive, not just for now but for years to come! Keep reading for some information based on my experience working with therapists to enhance their marketing since 2018.

There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to private practice marketing because each therapist is unique. After all, that's why people often tend to choose one therapist over another. It has to do with your rapport, your professionalism, your skillset, your location, whether you accept insurance or not, everything plays its part.

Private Practice Marketing 

If you've been in business for a very long time, you might be able to rely solely on word-of-mouth, but as the times change everything shifts to the online space. Clients are getting younger, more people are seeking therapy. You might even specialize in child or teen therapy. How do you reach new clients? How do you get people to call or book an appointment? How you choose to market your private practice depends on things such as your location or your specialties.

One of my clients is a private practice with three locations in Southern California. They really wanted to enhance their online marketing strategies to find new clients, Especially after Covid hit and they couldn't have in-person sessions. The therapy practice had a professional website but needed to create some social media pages and get some posts started. Together, we were able to create online profiles to get started marketing online. I optimized their profiles based on my 7+ years of social media experience, making sure each section is filled out in its entirety and utilizing search engine optimization whenever possible.

My client and I have been working together for over two years and the results have been absolutely incredible. It has been a joy to guide them and watch them grow. We've seen referrals come in from Google, Google My Business, organic search traffic to their website or blog post, and brand awareness via social media postings. 2020 was their most profitable year; not only that, but they were able to completely redo their website and hired three new therapists. 

Over the past two years, we've been building out their website SEO to get better search results locally. What good is an expensive professional website without any traffic, calls, referrals, leads? I'm able to market them through newsletters, blog posts, social media marketing, and overall online strategies.

I market the practice online, talk about the specialties, or each therapist. Much like Google or a search engine, social media is searchable, which makes it a great way to reach clients.

Interested in Blogging or Social Media Services for Mental Health Therapists?

If you are interested in Blogging or Social Media Services for Mental Health Therapists, the first step is to fill out this brief questionnaire to see if we're a good fit and if I can help you with what you need. Once I receive that, we schedule a 15-minute call to speak "face to face" via Zoom or online meeting. Again, if you are interested in my content or marketing services, fill out this questionnaire and I'll email you back!

I'm available for coaching and management, depending on your needs. Coaching allows you or your team to learn about social media marketing strategy for therapists, whereas management is where I provide done-for-you services to save you time.

Marketing Your Private Practice 

You can read every article online, even buy courses, but none of those are customized to your business. Articles may give great advice but it's generic for the most part. One size does not fit all when it comes to marketing strategy for therapy services.

Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing 

Content marketing is a huge part of marketing for therapists. Providing valuable, relevant, frequent social media marketing posts is part of having an online presence. Whether it's Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or a different platform, you never know when a social media post will provide potential clients or referrals. People might find you through one of those posts, you really never know. Content marketing basically means that you are marketing your services and what you do is a therapist through the content that you produce. The content itself, whether a Facebook post or a LinkedIn Story, is marketing material. We are creating marketing content geared to a specific audience. 

Want to work with me? If you are interested in my content or marketing services, fill out this quick questionnaire and I'll email you back!

Related reading: Is Pinterest Social Media? + a List of Pinterest Categories

Create a Website

Websites are so important! You can even set up a simple web design to have your own web presence. There are free and affordable options, especially if you're just starting out. In order to be found by potential clients, you have to make sure people can find you. If you have the budget, invest in a good website. Hire a designer on UpWork, Fiverr, or someone with examples to show.

Practical Tips

Here's a quick list of tips you can apply right now.

Identify Your Ideal Client 

You'll hear this a lot in the marketing world but we tend to do a lot of research before even posting. It's important to understand who is your client. 

Where are they located? 

How old are they? 

What are their hobbies? 

Are they married or single? 

Private practice marketing and social media marketing for therapists are going to range if you are based in New York City versus if you're based in a small town in Ohio. Who are you trying to get into the office? Who do you want to find? As a therapist, you know better than anyone clients that you work with, the services that you provide,  and the time required to provide a professional experience. When I craft content for my therapist clients, I create content that will resonate with their ideal client or potential client.

Related reading: How I Help People as a Blog Coach & Consultant

Highlight Your Specialties

Do you specialize in sex addiction therapy? In that case, you would probably be marketing to couples, spouses, men. The content we would create, including the wording and the image, would keep that type of person in mind. Whereas if you specialize in trauma therapy, we would craft the captions, hashtags, images to target the right potential client. It's like a fine art. 

Search Engine Optimization

A big part of marketing for therapists is to make sure that people can find you on search engines, which is why search engine optimization services exist to help you get better results (calls, bookings, referrals, brand awareness). If you're an individual therapist, it's important for people to find you online, whether it's by your name directly or by some of your specialties. Search engine optimization is a long-term strategy to improve your online presence. It's not a wanted done thing. You can't just write a blog post or post content for your website and then call it a day. If you have a private practice and there're multiple therapists working together, this can impact search results as well because there are more potential search terms that your ideal client is trying to Google.

Set Up Your Social Media Profiles

It's the 21st-century and people find information online. Sometimes it's Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, blog posts. The days of the Yellow Pages are over. Those days where have to flip through that big clunky book to find a business that you're searching for. Marketing strategies and practices have changed, they change all the time. Certain marketing tactics used even one year ago are now obsolete algorithms change, people change, society changes. It's vital that people can find you online. While it might not be feasible to consistently update every social media channel, having a complete profile still serves a purpose. You never know how someone will find you or discover your services.

Paid Ads

Do you need to be doing paid ads? Paid ads can be beneficial, especially when done well. You can put $200 per month on paid advertising but if it's not set up properly or you're targeting the wrong client, they can be a waste of money. Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram can be avenues to find possible clients and reach a bigger audience. You can target certain attributes such as sex, location, age, interests. It's important to understand who your ideal client so we target the right client. You know better than anyone who your client is and this is information you can bring to the table.

Want to learn more about Blogging or Social Media Services for Mental Health Therapists & Private Practices? Please fill out this brief questionnaire to see if we're a good fit and if I can help you with what you need. It asks just a few questions to dive deeper into your goals and what you are searching for.