Brewbike

Brewbike was a student-run coffee company that operated on university campuses, initially through mobile coffee bikes and later through permanent retail locations. The company was co-founded in 2015 at Northwestern University by students Lucas Philips and Brammy Geduld. Their goal was to provide a convenient, high-quality coffee experience for college students, addressing a perceived gap in the market for fast service of popular drinks like cold brew.

The business model began with a custom-built tricycle serving cold-brew coffee from a keg, a concept that addressed the long preparation times and frequent sell-outs of cold brew at other campus cafes. Philips, a freshman at the time, launched the company after identifying the on-campus demand. The initial venture was supported by a successful Indiegogo campaign that raised over $10,000 and a $10,000 grant from The Garage, Northwestern's hub for student entrepreneurship. The Garage was instrumental in providing mentorship and navigating university administration.

Brewbike expanded from its original coffee-on-wheels model to include micro-retail shops in campus buildings and wholesale subscriptions for Greek organizations. The business was structured to empower students by giving them hands-on entrepreneurial experience, with student teams managing operations on their respective campuses. By 2021, the company had expanded to 11 university campuses and employed over 450 students, paying out more than $700,000 in wages since its inception. The company's expansion was fueled by several funding rounds, including a seed round of $800,000 and a bridge round of over $3 million, attracting investors like CEAS Investments, Connetic Ventures, and Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto.

In August 2022, Brewbike ceased all operations. The closure was attributed to a difficult macroeconomic environment, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an inability to secure a final round of funding. Prior to closing, the company had pivoted during the pandemic to sell direct-to-consumer cold brew kits online, utilizing student employees as brand affiliates to drive sales.

Keywords: student-run coffee, university campus coffee, cold brew coffee, mobile coffee cart, student entrepreneurship, campus retail, BrewBike, Lucas Philips, Brammy Geduld, Northwestern University, venture-backed, coffee startup, direct-to-consumer coffee, The Garage Northwestern, food and beverage startup, college business, campus amenities, retail coffee chain, youth empowerment, experiential learning