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CEO of ready to drink coffee brand named regional EY ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ reveals what’s driving major market share growth; details nationwide contest awarding $50,000 cash to the ‘Bizzy’est Person in America’
With the United States ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market estimated at USD 6.46 billion in 2024 and forecasted to reach $8.61 Billion by 2029, it’s clear that Americans covet a killer cup of Joe. Millions of these coffee aficionados not only have a penchant for the convenience of ready to drink formats, but they are also partial to strong coffee beverages to help keep the fires of innovation, creativity and endurance burning bright.
For their own part, makers of the ambitiously strong Bizzy Cold Brew coffee know all too well that hard work can be a grind. This is why company founders Alex French and Andrew Healy are hell bent on recognizing—and energizing—Bizzy people who are working tirelessly toward their goals. The company has launched a nationwide, cash-fueled contest with $70,000 up for grabs—fully $50,000 of which will go to the person voted as the “Bizzy’est Person in America.”
Known for brewing exceptionally strong coffee, the folks at Bizzy Cold Brew are no stranger to bold moves. With a grand prize of $50,000 and $20,000 earmarked for runner ups, the brand has invited all “Bizzy people” to showcase their drive and ambition for a chance to win big in the contest—including cold hard cash as well as bragging rights. Each of the winners will also receive a one-year supply of smooth, strong ready-to-drink Bizzy Cold Brew coffee for themselves and up to five of their team members to fuel their ambitions. To further recognize the efforts of Bizzy people, the 4th and 5th place contest winners will each receive a one-year supply of Bizzy Cold Brew.
Below, Bizzy Cold Brew Co-Founder and CEO Alex French sheds light on what motivated the contest and how the brand is making its mark on the RTD coffee beverage industry.
MK: What was the core inspiration for the Bizzy’est Person in America Contest?
AF: Ever since starting our company in 2013, we’ve always celebrated the power of ambition. This contest is our way of rewarding those individuals who inspire others with their relentless drive and passion. Our goal is to use the Bizzy’est Person in America Contest to reward the big-idea thinkers, entrepreneurs, competitors, and innovators who tirelessly pursue their dreams. Ultimately, we want to support Bizzy people—those who embody the ethos of ambition and strive for excellence in all that they do.
MK: How can someone enter the contest?
AF: To enter, ambitious individuals can submit their entries on the contest landing page - bizzycoldbrew.com/bpa - between June 1 and July 27, 2024. The voting period to determine the Bizzy’est Person in America will commence on August 1, 2024, and run through August 22, 2024. Public voting will determine the winners of the contest.
MK: What do you hope people get out of the contest and what is the message you want to send about your business in relation?
AF: Drive and ambition, and leaning into risk along the way, have paid off for me and my Co-Founder, Andrew, resulting in a highly successful business. It hasn’t been easy and it’s been an extraordinary amount of hard work, but that effort has helped us achieve our dreams of being entrepreneurs and business owners. In fact, we were just recognized by Ernst & Young as Heartland region winners of the EY “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award!
MK: Your brand has gained significant market share, greatly expanding its retail presence in recent years. Where exactly can consumers now find Bizzy products?
AF: Yes, our USDA-Certified organic, ready-to-drink cold brew coffee is sold in more than 7,500 grocery stores across the United States, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Stop & Shop, H-E-B, Ralphs, Publix, Fred Meyer, certain Kroger divisions and more. Bizzy’s coarse ground coffee and brew bags are available on Amazon, Walmart.com and on the Bizzy Cold Brew website.
MK: How did the company originally get its start?
AF: Out of a true love of the product, my business partner Andrew and I started making cold brew coffee in our cramped apartment in 2013 after being fed up with paying $5 for a cup from a coffee shop. With Andrew's background in R&D Engineering, my own background in Consumer Research, and a drive to endlessly pursue perfection both in business and in our product, we have worked tirelessly to develop the best tasting cold brew coffee on the market.
Early on we researched and tested every variable, including the bean origins, roast profiles, grind sizes, brewing temperatures and brewing times, filtration methods, packaging, and storage conditions. We then started bottling it, giving it to friends for feedback, and continued to brew our own coffee formulations every single day.
After spending 3 years on research and thousands of dollars on coffee, commercial kitchen rent and bottles, we ultimately went "all in" and turned our passion into a career. Bizzy has grown significantly since those early days, with a full production facility, brewing team and front office of cold brew fanatics. Today, we’re fortunate to have many of the nation’s leading brick-and-mortar and online retailers carrying Bizzy Cold Brew.
MK: What can you say about your bean—and brewing process at large—that really sets your coffee drinks apart in the marketplace?
AF: No surprise, a good cup of coffee starts with a high-quality bean. After years of research, we settled on some pretty delicious organic certified Arabica beans that are perfect for cold brew. Our USDA Organic Certified coffee is grown in some of the world's most premier coffee regions.
We then coarsely grind and micro sift the coffee beans for even size. The roasting process is as much art as it is a science. We roast different origins to different levels, cold brew them, and test which version tastes the best.
And one of the most important steps in our process is our brew time. Our beverages are brewed slow for 18 hours and cold filtered, creating the strongest and most flavorful coffee possible.
MK: How would you describe the difference between your various roasts?
AF: Bizzy’s Light Roast has flavor notes of floral and citrus. It is the highest in caffeine of all our roast profiles, with 302 mg per serving.
Our Breakfast Blend is balanced with fruity, cocoa and toffee flavor notes and has 275mg caffeine per serving.
Medium roast is very nicely balanced with notes of caramel and hazelnut. The Medium Roast has 277mg caffeine per serving.
Our Espresso Blend is balanced with notes of chocolate, berry and brown sugar, with 273mg of caffeine per serving.
No matter what flavor profile a coffee lover is looking for, Bizzy has something for everyone.
MK: Much attention is often paid to the grind of the coffee bean. How does this factor into the process?
AF: Yes, the grind is an important factor in getting a good, consistent cold brew, and we take it very seriously at Bizzy. Make the particles too small and you'll get over-extracted and bitter tastes. Make them too coarse and you will get under-extracted and sour coffee.
We use highly precise methods to grind our coffee to very specific coarseness, resulting in the perfect grind size for making cold brew coffee.
MK: You mentioned micro-sifting earlier. Tell us about that aspect of production.
AF: Micro-sifting is a process that sets our coffee apart from the rest. After the coffee has been ground, it’s passed through a series of sieves that filter out the unwanted particle sizes. We’re then left with the perfect coarseness for cold brewing, a particle size we’ve developed from years of research and testing. This extra step ensures a consistent, deliciously strong and smooth cup of cold brew.
MK: Is there anything else that sets your coffee apart from the others?
AF: Yes, absolutely. It’s our obsessive attention to the details along every step of the process that sum up to a great product. Naturally we start with the water, and we use reverse osmosis water purification as a contributing factor to our amazing cold brew.
We also continuously monitor brewing temperatures to make sure everything stays consistent from brew to brew. It may sound crazy to some, but every little variable has an effect on the outcome, so we do our best to control it all. It’s highly time- and labor-intensive, but we will not sacrifice on the exceptional quality of our cold brew.
Time is of the essence when it comes to brewing. In fact, that's how cold brew coffee is possible, by replacing heat for time in the brewing equation. We brew every batch of Bizzy for 18 hours, longer than most other cold brews on the shelf. Yes, that's a very long time. But this gives us the boldest, smoothest flavor and caffeine kick possible.
Also, heat should never be involved in the cold brew process. It defeats the entire purpose. The lack of heat and lengthier brew time is what gives cold brew its distinct flavor characteristics that are sought after over its hot coffee counterpart. All that sweetness and less acidic taste comes from the lack of heat. The end result is a smooth, strong cold brew.
MK: What, if anything, is your company doing in the realm of sustainability?
AF: For us, the “endless pursuit of perfection” isn't just about the product we make—although we think it’s pretty perfect. While our cold brew is critical to our success, we want to do more and what's right. We continue to assess our practices and remain diligent in looking for ways to up our sustainability game.
We use data to drive every aspect of our business, including in setting our sustainability goals. We’re continually assessing, measuring and improving, and it is what will get us to our goals of carbon neutrality and upcycling 100% of our spent coffee grounds by 2025 and being plastic negative by 2030. We’ve also transitioned to using 100% post-consumer recycled bottles for our cold brew, which we’re incredibly proud of. At Bizzy, we are a small, passionate “Brew Crew” who strive to do better every single day.
With the company’s endless pursuit of perfection across all operational fronts, Bizzy continues to push the envelope. The company is not only re-defining the standard for truly exceptional strong cold brew coffee, but also celebrating others who are ambitiously striving toward their own dreams.
Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded brand strategist and analyst who reports on cultural shifts and trends as well as noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators across all categories, both B2C and B2B. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. As a prolific lifestyle, travel, dining and leisure industry voice of authority and tastemaker, Merilee keeps her finger on the pulse of the marketplace in search of new and innovative must-haves and exemplary experiences at all price points, from the affordable to the extreme. Her work reaches multi-millions worldwide via broadcast TV (her own shows and copious others on which she appears) as well as a myriad of print and online publications. Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com and www.SavvyLiving.tv / Instagram www.Instagram.com/MerileeKern / Twitter www.Twitter.com/MerileeKern / Facebook www.Facebook.com/MerileeKernOfficial / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern.
