1851

Ever since Uber became consumers&#8217; go-to app for catching a ride, companies have been trying to replicate its business model. But even though the &#8220;Uber for X&#8221; industry is increasingly crowded, it isn&#8217;t always successful. In today&#8217;s technology and convenience driven society, there&#8217;s an Uber for everything. From food delivery and maid services to doctors and valets, there&#8217;s a seemingly endless list of apps offering to deliver a product or service to customers&#8217; doors in 30 minutes or less. But despite the business model&#8217;s popularity, it&#8217;s taking some heat as startups are struggling. Take <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/15/spoonrocket-shuts-down/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-clowder-coffee-stands-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-uber-for-x-industry-5439" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SpoonRocket</a>, a brand that cooked and delivered its own meals rather than being a middle-man for restaurants. After raising $13.5 million, it was forced to close its doors because it couldn&#8217;t keep up with the competition. Another example is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/technology/the-uber-model-it-turns-out-doesnt-translate.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-clowder-coffee-stands-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-uber-for-x-industry-5439" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luxe</a>, and on-demand parking and valet service that started out with a promise to park cars at a rate of $5 dollars an hour or $15 for the day. The app is still up and running, but it&#8217;s been forced to drastically raise its prices to just under $30 per day. Even known names like <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2016/03/22/doordash-raises-127-million-in-down-round/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-clowder-coffee-stands-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-uber-for-x-industry-5439" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DoorDash</a> are struggling to stay afloat&#8212;the food delivery service isn&#8217;t raising the amount of money it originally expected. An exception to this trend is <a href="https://www.clowder.nyc/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-clowder-coffee-stands-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-uber-for-x-industry-5439" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clowder Coffee</a>, which is solidifying itself as the name to beat in the &#8220;Uber for Coffee&#8221; industry. It was founded by two McKinsey &amp; Company alumni and graduates of 500 Startups, Christine Miao and Matt Casey. Miao currently serves as the brand&#8217;s CEO, and is responsible for driving the brand&#8217;s efforts to make the &#8220;Uber for coffee&#8221; model work. The concept behind the brand is simple&#8212;it delivers coffee straight to customers&#8217; desks. Each order is affordable&#8212;drinks start at $3 and there&#8217;s no order minimum. After users place their orders online, each drink is brewed-to-order and packed in a proprietary carrying case so it stays at the perfect temperature throughout the delivery process. Customers will get a confirmation and time estimate of when they can expect their order, which is typically within 15 minutes. Clowder baristas then contact users directly when they&#8217;ve arrived with an order. What makes Clowder unique is its commitment to offering its baristas and delivery teams flat, fair rates. All of the brand&#8217;s employees are W2 workers, and all tips, gratuities and delivery charges are included when customers place their orders. That promise to give employees livable wages&#8212;especially in major metropolitan areas&#8212;doesn&#8217;t go unnoticed by consumers. And as long as customers keep relying on Clowder to get their morning caffeine boost, the brand will continue to expand its reach. Right now, Clowder&#8217;s services are limited&#8212;it only has locations in New York&#8217;s financial district and Mountain View, California. But as it continues to build its &#8220;Uber for Coffee&#8221; business in the months and years to come, it&#8217;s possible the service will be launching in new cities and communities across the country.

1851 Franchise

The on-demand coffee delivery company is successfully utilizing a business model that doesn’t always translate.


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