Blue Star Group — Restaurant & Hospitality Colorado Springs, CO
Keeping the Lights On: A Community Campaign That Raised $17,000 in 90 Days
The Client
Blue Star Group is a Colorado Springs restaurant group behind six beloved local concepts — including Stellina Pizza Cafe, Laaus Taco Shop, and Principal's Office. Known for their standout food and deep community roots, Blue Star had spent years building something genuinely worth saving. When the pandemic hit, they needed a way to let their community help them do exactly that.
Services
Campaign Strategy
Sub-Brand Development
Organic Social Media
Email Marketing
Landing Page Design
Copywriting
Our Results
Results achieved in 90 days with zero paid ad spend
$17,000
profit directly attributed to the Courage Card campaign
1400+ views
landing page views with an average time on page of 2:15, people were reading, not bouncing
Organic Social Reach
Stellina Pizza Cafe: 3,385
Laaus Taco Shop: 1,061
Principal's Office: 1,379
Email Marketing
Email 1: 1,765 opens · 296 clicks · 167 unique clicks
Email 2: 2,521 opens · 138 clicks · 93 unique clicks
The Challenge
March 2020. Doors closed. Revenue gone. Staff at risk.
A steep, sudden revenue drop with no conventional path to recovery
Six restaurant concepts to sustain with zero dine-in capacity
Staff livelihoods on the line with no clear timeline for reopening
A community that wanted to help — but no vehicle to channel that support
The challenge wasn't just financial. It was how to ask for help without it feeling like begging, and how to give people something meaningful to invest in when the future was completely uncertain.
The Pollinate Approach
We started with a values deep-dive into what Blue Star actually stood for — and built everything from there. Courage, honesty, and hope became the foundation of a brand-new sub-brand campaign: the Courage Card.
Rather than asking patrons to "buy a gift card," we invited them to invest in the future of their favorite restaurants. The language was transparent, community-forward, and specific — here's what's at stake, here's how your support helps, here's what you'll get in return.
We created a campaign ecosystem from scratch: a dedicated sub-brand with its own logo and visual identity, a campaign landing page with clear pledge levels ($100, $1,000, and $5,000 — redeemable across any Blue Star location), and surprise-and-delight rewards for larger supporters including monthly pasta kits and cocktails. The whole campaign ran across all three active restaurant social channels, two phases of email, and owned media — fully integrated, with Blue Star leadership involved in real-time pivots and approvals throughout.
Our Impact
Blue Star Group kept its doors and its team intact through one of the most disruptive periods any small business has ever faced. The Courage Card didn't just raise money. It deepened loyalty, activated community, and gave patrons a tangible way to show up for something they cared about.