Brewbike is grinding its way to a new start at Tempe Campus as a student-run coffee shop.
The coffee business is planning to open up a physical location at Durham Hall and also plans to meet the caffeine demand by delivering coffee in the business's signature delivery style — on bicycles.
The business has a traveling bike that sells cold brew coffee to students on the go, and it is strategically positioned to meet students who are on the way to class.
Sophie Olde, a senior digital marketing major and the campus chief marketing officer of Brewbike, grew up in Seattle, which she said means she was “pretty much born into the (coffee) business.” Part of Brewbike’s appeal is its convenience, customers do not want to wait in long lines, and that’s what Brewbike capitalized on, she said.
One of the benefits of having a coffee business on wheels is that Brewbike can set up shop wherever space is available on campus.
The bike can go anywhere, but there will be regular spots, Olde said. One of these spots will be “conveniently located right outside the MU by Starbucks, so when you decide the line is too long you can go have some coffee a little quicker,” Olde said.
Cold brew coffee is Brewbike’s forte, and for the start of fall, Brewbike will offer seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice, and they will also provide sweet options like caramel, chocolate and cinnamon sugar.
Brewbike was founded by students at Northwestern University in 2015, and the business is already on a number of college campuses.
This year, the University welcomed over 77,700 students back to campus, over 3,000 more in-person students than last year. The University’s massive student body was why ASU was a perfect target for expansion, according to Francisco Guerrero, the campus CEO of Brewbike.
“If you’re planning on starting a new business, (you) definitely want to go to a young, vibrant, growing college campus … you go where it’s growing, and I think Tempe and ASU make sense," said Guerrero, a senior majoring in business entrepreneurship, business administration and public service and public policy
Brewbike's location at Durham Hall is currently under construction. Guerrero said they hope to open the store in the first week of November.
Brewbike is partnering with local cookie shop Dirty Dough to sell gourmet cookies at Brewbike’s location in Durham Hall, Olde said.
Students were supportive of new coffee shops coming on campus when Brewbike was advertising its coming business in front of the Sun Devil Fitness Complex on Wednesday. Jackson Torrens, a freshman majoring in business law, is close to the coffee business because his mom owned a coffee shop in Illinois, and he said that he “(loves) small business coffee shops and supporting small coffee shops.”
To keep up with Brewbike's progress, students can follow them on Instagram. They can also catch the latest deals by texting "AZSTATE" to 833-559-4724.
Guerrero is optimistic about the future of Brewbike, and he thinks students will happily support a small business that is poised to take on the corporate giants.
“One of the big parts of my vision and mission for Brewbike at ASU is just (taking) on the big guys, the big corporations — Dutch Bros, Starbucks, you know," Guerrero said. "I think people love underdog stories. They love siding with students, especially the student-run business. We understand students; we understand the community. So definitely tackling the big guys, just by being students. I think that’s a story that’s bound to get some attention."
Reach the reporter at kryback1@asu.edu and follow @KadenRyback on Twitter.
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Kaden is a reporter for the Biztech desk, focusing on student run business, people profiles and research papers. During his time at The State Press, Kaden's biggest piece was about ASU's history with NASA. He's a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication.
