What’s it take to receive the Retailer of the Year Excellence Award of the Year? Read our interview with Andrew Crockett, Founder of HubBub Coffee, as we highlight one of the excellent small businesses that drive the Greater Philadelphia region. Join us to celebrate the 33rd Annual Excellence Award winners on Thursday, November 5 »
Where did the idea for your business come from?
In 2003, while an undergraduate student at UPenn, I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia. In that city, I discovered a vibrant coffee culture revolving around, walk-up café kiosks and outdoor coffee bars. These small stands, which opened right onto the sidewalk, created such a fun, casual way for people to connect through coffee. The big coffee drink in Australia is the Flat White, the perfect ratio of steamed milk to espresso, and I just fell in love with it. From then on, I knew there was an opportunity in the US and specifically in Philadelphia to bring back that walk-up coffee culture and that dedication to friendly service and perfect drinks. In 2009, I launched the HubBub Coffee Truck, a fully operational café on 4 wheels.
Describe the moment that you decided to go into business for yourself. How did you feel once you made the decision?
Well, I was leaving a great job on Wall Street to move home to my parents’ house…so that was an interesting dynamic. Seriously though, it was incredible. I just had this feeling that anything was possible. I didn’t have a road map, I just had an idea, a vision of what could be, no money to lose, and just enough naivety to go for it. Aside from marrying my wife, it’s the best decision I have ever made.
Who has been an inspiration to you as a business owner and why?
I love history and was a history major in college, so I draw inspiration from a range of people and places. My Dad has always been someone I could bounce ideas off of and still do to this day. I am continually inspired by stories of my grandfather and great grandfather, both of whom were entrepreneurs. Being in Philadelphia, there are so many great stories to draw on – people as legendary as Ben Franklin and as contemporary as Yards Brewing Company. We are lucky in Philly to be rich with interesting people – you just have to ask to talk to them and most will make time to share their stories. Well maybe not Ben Franklin, but you get my point!
What makes your business model special?
We want to leave a positive and lasting impact on the people and communities we serve, and so far we have chosen to do that through unique retail experiences. Whether it’s our coffee truck or our Brew Bars or most recently our cold brew trikes, we want to be a company for people that expect more than the status quo. Our goal is to build a great brand and a great company – HubBub is an expansive idea that goes beyond a chain of coffee shops. Ultimately, we want to be a company about great products that are accessible in a range of channels, and retail will always play an important role in our strategy. Stay tuned for some exciting projects that we have in the works.
What is your business philosophy?
HubBub is a company about people, and coffee is an incredible medium for human interaction. HubBub aims to bring people – friends, neighbors, and colleagues – together, with coffee as the catalyst. We are committed to only serving the best stuff: beans sourced and roasted with love, milk from happy cows, and edibles from local purveyors. We really want to live the mantra of doing well by doing good and being a responsible company. We approach coffee from a barista-driven perspective: constantly exploring and interrogating extraction methods and flavor profiles, educating ourselves and one another, and pushing for excellence every day.
What is most challenging about owning/running a small business in the region? How do you deal with the challenges?
I view “challenges” as opportunities. As an entrepreneur, I am always thinking about solving problems and how to make things better or different. I think one of the biggest opportunities we have is around people. We want to be a company that people want to work for and work with. That’s not always easy, but if our staff – our “crew” as we like to say – is on the same page philosophically, then it allows for a great deal of trust and autonomy to make decisions and do great things.
What’s your secret to success?
Our people. There are a lot of great ideas out there, but without a committed team to execute a strategy, you’re never going to make it.
What’s so special about the Philadelphia region business community?
There is an incredible business history in Philadelphia, and I think we are seeing a real resurgence of talent staying in Philadelphia to grow their companies here. It’s awesome to be a part of something larger than yourself, and having the opportunity to get together with other people who are at various stages of their business is very helpful. I have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of wisdom from some very experienced folks and I think it’s our obligation to “pay it forward” to those who are going through similar experiences to us.
What does it mean to you personally and/or to your business to be named an Excellence Award winner?
It’s an incredible honor and we are humbled to even be nominated.
What are your growth plans for the next 3 – 5 years?
We are working on some super exciting stuff which we would love to tell you about in more detail, but aren’t quite ready yet. That said, we are really enthusiastic about making progress toward becoming a true product-based company by bringing elements of production in-house. We are in motion on a new space that will be multi-functional and open to the public. We also plan to roll out a few more Brew Bars in the Philadelphia area.
What’s the most unexpected thing that has happened while running your business?
This goes back a ways, but the first winter that we were open for business was 2009/2010. In February of 2010, we got a lot of snow. The pipes froze on our truck and we literally couldn’t open for an entire month. It was painful, but it’s a great story to tell. Anecdotally, it’s always a great way to explain to aspiring food truckers that it’s not always 70 degrees and sunny (literally and figuratively). But we survived and so can you.
Is there another small business in the region you admire? Why?
There is so much great stuff happening in Philly – particularly in food and beverage. That said, Wash Cycle Laundry has been an awesome story to follow. Partly because we were once a customer of theirs, but also because I think their mission and vision is something really great.
