Hospitality

How Cream Pony is turning its Vancouver expansion into a social media spectacle

The B.C.-based fried chicken and doughnut shop gives us a lesson in building hype.

By Rebekah Ho /

Beloved doughnut and fried chicken shop Cream Pony is based in North Vancouver and, if the business’s name is any indication, things here are light and fun—just like their social media presence. The brand is owned by mother-daughter duo Erin Smith and Alix Finn, who make engaging social media content with their team. Lately, they’ve been sharing updates on their latest venture: taking over the previous Cartems Donuts space on Main Street in Vancouver.

As Cream Pony says, giddy up!—and let’s take a look at how they’re keeping their audience engaged.

Saddling up for teasers

Everyone in the hospitality business knows there’s often a huge stretch of time between deciding you want to open a restaurant location and its opening day, and Cream Pony is taking advantage of that long runway by sharing teasers. From half-finished transition videos to behind-the-scenes updates, they’ve been building anticipation and keeping their audience excited for the launch.

Putting the audience in their (cowboy) boots

While the brand is lighthearted, Cream Pony doesn’t steer away from the hardships of owning a business. From permit issues to uncertainties around opening dates, the team is transparent about what’s been going on behind the hoardings and shares their learnings for small businesses to come.

Horsing around with trends

You can tell that the Cream Pony team is chronically online because they know exactly what trends to jump on and what their viewers want to see. There’s more to video and audio trends than meets the eye, though. Adding their own spin, Cream Pony nails it by playing up the mother-daughter charm and committing to the bit.

Sharing the love for likes

We love a family business, and there’s nothing more heartwarming to witness than Smith and Finn having the time of their lives running Cream Pony together. Not only can you see the love through the screen, we’re also pretty sure they were a comedy duo in a previous life, with naturally hilarious real-time reactions and upbeat energy.

Rebekah Ho

Rebekah Ho

Rebekah Ho is the digital marketing manager at Canada Wide Media. She creates digital content for Vancouver Magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness and BCLiving with a focus on bringing our stories to life on social media. Send digital content pitches to her at [email protected].