In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with John Schade, co-founder and president of DryBrew.
DryBrew is real coffee in a chewy, ready-to-eat bite. No cup, no brewing, no stopping for a bathroom break five minutes later. John explains that the first idea came from wanting coffee while driving without spilling it everywhere. From there, the team created a chewy coffee bite made with real coffee and non-dairy creamer.
We talk about how DryBrew started, why sampling is such a huge part of selling the product, and how people usually “get it” once they actually try it. John also shares how the team started by selling at farmers markets, getting direct feedback, and learning where the product could go before jumping into bigger retail opportunities.
We also dive into:
• What DryBrew actually is
• Why it feels like a Tootsie Roll or Laffy Taffy coffee bite
• Why it is not meant to fully replace your morning coffee ritual
• How cyclists, hikers, trail runners, firefighters, doctors, travelers, and busy people use it
• Why DryBrew works so well when you do not have time to brew coffee
• How the team went from farmers markets to Target
• Why food products are complicated to scale
• What it took to professionalize the business through a food startup accelerator
• How DryBrew hand-packed around 100,000 units for its first Target order
• Why a delayed packing machine created one of the brand’s biggest “oh no” moments
• How small food brands have to think about packaging, expiration dates, batch numbers, and scale
• Why sampling matters so much in stores
• How independent retailers helped DryBrew understand what customers needed
• What is coming next, including unwrapped packs and espresso bean-shaped DryBrew bites
• Why retail growth is exciting but can also expose whether your operations are actually ready
This episode is full of coffee, caffeine, outdoor retail lessons, startup grind, food business reality, packaging talk, and plenty of dad-joke-worthy “grind” moments.
Website:
https://drybrew.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drybrew
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@drybrew
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/drybrew
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