The expanse of Texas State’s hilly campus often tests students physically. While coffee is a hard-won loyalty, it may be pitted against the trek. There are several places to acquire coffee on campus but most are often too far away for students who wish to make it to class on time.
BrewBike is a company created by students, for students, and specializes in providing easily accessible coffee.
BrewBike is a portable cold-brew coffee company started in 2015 by Lucas Philips while he was in school at Northwestern University. In the past four years, the company has expanded to The University of Texas at Austin, Miami University and officially launched on Texas State’s campus on the first day of school.
Seth Davis, campus CEO, said cold-brew coffee is beneficial for numerous reasons, including the additional caffeine and smoother taste. Students can personalize their coffee options with soymilk, oat milk and simple syrup.
“I get so tired of drinking water all the time,” Davis said. “It’s nice to have something that isn’t water but tastier than soda.”
BrewBike will set up shop every day 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. on Fridays, in front of the Boko the Bobcat statue near The Quad bus loop. Additionally, the BrewBike held a soft launch Aug. 17 and 18 for Texas State move-in.
The bike offers two different types of cold-brew coffee: original and cinnamon brown sugar, each brewed over a period of 16 hours and served iced. The portable company serves oolong tea as well, which, like the coffee, is steeped over a 16-hour period. All coffee is made by fellow students.
Leo Ramos, campus chief people officer, said he is excited to see how BrewBike will change the student business landscape.
“The thing I’m most excited for is to see a student-run business on campus, orientated by students, run by students,” Ramos said. “It doesn’t have to be a big innovative idea or something like that—just get out there and do something.”
Davis said even though the coffee is served cold, he expects BrewBike to still have solid footing following the winter months as a testament to the quality. He added because the organization is student-run, it provides potential for small industry.
“I think this (kind of business) could show students that thinking outside the box a little bit could lead to some pretty awesome opportunities,” Davis said. “I think it will provide a lot of leadership experiences.”
BrewBike employee and acting major Payton Russell said because the setup is small, the company is able to be environmentally conscious.
“I think it will inspire students to be more conscious about the environment and conscious about what the are putting into their bodies,” Russell said.
BrewBike is partnered with Chartwells, the company in charge of dining on campus. However, hiring is done independently through the company and students are welcome to apply.
Payment is accepted through Square—a card processing company—and BrewBike offers a loyalty program through the app.
For more information, the company can be found by @brewbiketxst on Instagram, where individuals can track the bike’s location and stay up-to-date on promotions. For hiring information, students can reach out to Ramos at [email protected].