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COFFEE PEOPLE: RUSTY DOG ROASTERS

Rusty Dog Coffee grew from a small hobby business into a burgeoning empire after founder Tom Koren brought in two partners. The Madison, WI roaster is reaching far into the corners of the coffee industry.

We chatted with Rusty Dog's Tom Koren and Tony Bitner at their facility on the East Side of Madison, WI.

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Guests: Tom Koren and Tony Bitner of Rusty Dog Coffee*
Based: Madison, WI
What they do: Wholesale, Direct-to-Consumer Sales, and Ready-to-Drink coffee, tea, equipment, and whatever else they can dream up.
*The third of the RDC operators, Manny Figueroa, was out doing the real work.

You finish your day working for The Man—with a capital "M." You roll through the house, grabbing some food on the fly, kiss your partner, and tuck in the kids or the pups* before heading off to the work you do for you. The work that fulfills and sustains you through the long days where you're uplifting someone else's dream.
It is a common enough experience for entrepreneurs worldwide.

It is where Tom Koren found himself when his hobby coffee business became more important than his day job as an engineer. Unfortunately, limited time and resources had prevented his side hustle from growing. That sounds familiar enough, too, doesn't it?

He decided to grow the business, or kill it. I can feel the weight of that decision. I've been there, and you may have been at one point, too. Scrolling* through his Rolodex, he stopped at the names Tony Bitner and Manny Figueroa.

They came on board to begin the hard work of growing a small coffee roaster. They worked nights and weekends around full-time jobs and family demands. It is a lesser acknowledged truth that being an entrepreneur requires a support system. The families were on board, and the three operators believed in the vision Tom set forth before asking how his new co-operators would put their stamp on it.

Fast-forward 12 years, and Rusty Dog Coffee is much more than a hobby business. The business focuses heavily on wholesale customers and direct-to-consumer sales through their website. From the beginning, they offered roasted coffee and equipment sales for the prosumer and commercial markets. They've added organic teas, syrups, and are launching a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage called Ambition—an apropos nom de plume, if there ever was one.

Wandering around Rusty Dog Coffee.

TAKEAWAYS FROM RUSTY DOG

The business was started by Tom in 2013 as a hobby business, but it stagnated. He decided to either, "Grow it, or kill it." That's when he decided to reach out to Manny and Tony for help.
Fun doesn’t equal profit.
They are currently going through a brand refresh to better reflect their personality. The new packages feature the influence of music on their lives and their three-sided collaboration.

Phots of all sides of the Rusty Dog Coffee bags. Black text on brown kraft paper on the front and back. Orange color block panels with icons representing music and collaboration on the sides. — The new Rusty Dog Coffee bags. Coming soon.

Roast profiles change as the seasons change. When you’re based in a 4-season state, like Wisconsin, you need to be much more aware of the climate. At Rusty Dog, they try to control the impact of climate on their coffee by ensuring it is packaged correctly using GrainPro bags, controlling the humidity levels in their warehouse, and limiting the bean exposure to outside influences.
Most consumers like consistency...until they taste something better.
It’s always harder than you think. You’ll need to deviate from the plan many, many times.
There is no standard for roast dates added to packaging. Be aware, but also understand that coffee won’t go bad. It just won’t be at peak flavor if it is an older roast.

Find them online at: rustydogcoffee.com
See more on the socials: @rustydogcoffee

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