Investments

As Dedeshin said in an interview with Rusbase, he initially invested 100 thousand rubles from his own funds in launching the service, after which he attracted 2.5 million rubles from a private investor - his former acquaintance from the IT sector, who wished not to disclose his name.

The entrepreneur spent his own money on renting an office, prototyping and developing a strategy. The investor's money was used to develop iOS and Android versions of the service, a website, legal services, accounting, and more.

How Cupella Works ...

The service itself was launched on June 26 this year. Cupella works like this: the user pays through the application for one of two subscription options ("black coffee" or "coffee with milk", the second option is more expensive). After registration, the subscriber receives a certain number of cups of coffee to his virtual "account", which he can order at Cupella partner establishments at a discount. The minimum price will be 50 rubles per cup.

At the same time, Cupella works only with small businesses, that is, with small cafes, and not with large chains.

“A person has a choice: to drink coffee at a discount through our service in local projects and support them, or to drink coffee in Shokoladnitsa, Starbucks, McDonald's. That is, we create such a competitive price advantage, ”says Dedeshin.

... and how he earns

At the moment, about 70 St. Petersburg cafes are connected to the service - Espresso Bike, How to Drink, Mitte, Coffee Go, Latteria and others, says the entrepreneur. Twice a month, Cupella transfers funds to the account of partner institutions where subscribers bought coffee. The service itself earns commissions from the purchase of subscriptions, the average commission is 5%.

“The product itself (coffee) is highly marginal, and even if the coffee shop does not earn the full amount, they are interested. Plus, a person can buy something else, for example, a dessert, ”Dedeshin answered when asked what attracts partners in the model offered by Cupella.

Since July 1, the Cupella application has been installed 2,000 times, in total, users have already drunk 500 cups of coffee through the service, says Dedeshin. The company plans to develop the functionality of the application, as well as expand to other Russian cities, including Moscow.

What did the founder do before starting the project

Dedeshin himself was previously engaged in online shopping and the promotion of projects in social networks. In 2009-2012, the entrepreneur developed offline projects for the sale of interior goods for the home and flowers.

In 2015, when Dedeshin was already engaged in Cupella, the service won the competition of business projects organized as part of the St. Petersburg educational and business program "Business is for me!" in the "New Business Idea" nomination (the project was then called "Coffee 4 days"). After that, Dedeshin began to get acquainted with potential partners:

“I went with a notepad and got feedback. I wrote down all the wishes from the cafe: what to add to the application, what to remove. Then in 2 months I got to know all the coffee shops in the city, ”says the entrepreneur.

At one time, we talked about an unusual Moscow cafe, which, among other things, offers its visitors free drinks and small snacks. The income of this rather atypical establishment (especially for our country) comes from payment for the time of stay, and not from the sale of products. That is, the client can sit here at least the whole day, paying for each hour of his stay (the price is about one hundred rubles or a little more). For this, visitors can expect free tea, coffee and small snacks. Of course, all these "goodies" are available in reasonable quantities. In general, a very interesting and very promising project, created on a certain combination of the model of an ordinary cafe and.

Today we will tell you about another rather interesting model of the cafe, which also attracts its customers with "free" offers.

Unlimited coffee by subscription in Israeli coffee shops

This idea is doubly unusual and interesting considering that she hails from Tel Aviv (Israel). The citizens of this country are known for never missing out on their benefits. Of course, perhaps this is just another global stereotype, but still. So, what have the Israeli entrepreneurs come up with? They found a very original way of selling coffee in local coffee shops. The inhabitants of the city are very fond of coffee and consume this drink in huge quantities. And now they have the opportunity to receive it "for free" in several dozen cafes, which are united into a common network by a project called. Of course, you will have to pay for coffee, but in a somewhat non-standard way.

Anyone wishing to participate in the Cups project must fill out a special application and pay a membership fee. The amount of the contribution depends on the chosen tariff plan. There are two such proposals in total. The first rate costs 169 shekels per month. The shekel is the currency of Israel. Today one shekel is equal to approximately eight of our rubles. That is, the first tariff of the Cups project is approximately 1,350 rubles per month. The amount is small. But let's see what is offered for it. And for this fee, they offer an unlimited amount of coffee in coffee houses that are connected to the Cups project for one month. That is, by paying this amount, a Tel Aviv resident can visit these cafes and drink coffee at least ten times a day (although it is not recommended, since excessive consumption of coffee is harmful to health). That's it.

For those customers who want to save a little and at the same time preserve their health, a second tariff is offered. The monthly fee is 99 shekels, which is equal to approximately 720 rubles. For this fee, the client can count on one free cup of coffee in any cafe in the city participating in the Cups project. All of this is very similar to the model we talked about earlier.

It turns out quite a paid coffee (maybe at a lower price), but how convenient it is! Imagine a person doesn't have to think if they have a few shekels in their pocket to go to a cafe, have coffee and chat with friends. He always has such an opportunity. It seems to be nothing grandiose, but this approach really works. This is proved by the fact that the Cups project has been successfully operating for about a year and unites several dozen independent coffee houses throughout the city.

In addition, a special mobile application was created for the convenience of the project clients. With its help, you can quickly find the nearest cafe with unlimited coffee, being in any area of \u200b\u200bTel Aviv. The same application helps the project staff track the number of orders (which is especially important in the case of a "semi-unlimited" tariff).

What are the benefits of coffee shop owners?

Quite a natural question. In fact, everything is simple. This approach allows cafe owners to attract more loyal customers. Although they have to lose some of the profits selling coffee, this is offset by the number of orders. In addition, coffee is not the only commodity sold in coffee shops. There is tea, cold drinks, various snacks, pastries, sweets, salads and so on. And coffee becomes a kind of bait for new visitors and allows them to quickly become regular customers. Great move! And a great example to follow.

Coffee continues its expansion in the city, and more and more enthusiasts open not only their own coffee shops, but also start roasting coffee on their own. If a couple of years ago a pack of Barn coffee brought from Berlin caused a lot of emotions, today you can find interesting varieties and beans for every taste at local roasters. Last weekend, Trekhgornaya Manufactory hosted a large coffee festival Moscow Coffee Festival. The Village has audited local roasters and tells where to buy fresh coffee.

Some of the city's top roasters started their business four years ago. Today, dozens of not only Moscow, but also Russian coffee houses operate on Owl beans, and barista Nastya Godunova has become the Owl brand ambassador. You can buy coffee in some coffee shops and markets, but the easiest way is to order online. Roasters' range has blends that are best for making espresso, as well as the Red and Black lines - both can be used for any type of brewing from espresso to funnel, but interesting and rare varieties can be found in black. Owl also has dough boxes that can hold five packs of coffee of different varieties: if you can't make a decision right away, this is a convenient way to find beans to your taste.

Cooperative "Black"

The address: Lyalin lane, 5

Cooperative "Black" is famous for its ideology, as well as patience and perseverance - the coffee shop has moved, closed and experienced ups and downs. Now the cooperative has finally opened with a large full-fledged coffee shop in the Pokrovka area, where you can buy fresh coffee beans of its own roasting. The varieties are regularly changed, periodically there are test batches that are slightly cheaper. In addition, a free glass of coffee is poured to the pack, which makes the purchase even more pleasant.

Camera obscura

The address: st. Pipe, 1

Nikolai Chistyakov is a roaster, it seems, with an impeccable reputation. Camera Obscura coffee is used by many restaurants in Russia, and the company has its own points in the Central and Usachevsky markets, as well as a tiny coffee shop near the roaster. In the corners of Camera Obscura, you can always buy a pack of fresh beans, as well as order coffee on the website - there the choice is much wider.

Biji Coffee

Local roasters work directly with farmers and travel a lot in search of interesting coffee. First of all, I want to buy Biji coffee for a cool package with lemurs and other cute animals, you can do this right on the page on Facebook and Instagram. Biji coffee can also be found in Coffee Bean coffee shops (albeit under the coffee house brand) and in some Vkusville stores (also in supermarket packages). But for the sake of a lemur, you should still arrange delivery directly from the guys.

Laboratoria Coffee

The address: st. Leninskaya Sloboda, 26

Laboratoria Coffee recently opened a point at the StrEat gastromarket (hint: look for it in the second hall), where you can always buy freshly roasted coffee, as well as drink signature drinks of the champion barista Sergei Stepanchuk. In addition, coffee is sold in many coffee houses, including a small coffee house "Kofemaus" on "Mayakovskaya", as well as on the website, wholesale or retail. The assortment includes several monosorts - from Colombia and Guatemala to different types of Ethiopia and Kenya - and, of course, various blends.

Cezve coffee

The address: Podsosenskiy per., 8

The main ones for coffee on the sand are Marina Hüppenen's Cezve Coffee. Marina, the current champion of Russia in making coffee in cezve, roasts coffee for the Turks herself, and you can trust her choice. If you brew coffee in a Turk, this is definitely the most suitable option for you. You can always buy packs in coffee shops (there are three of them in Moscow) or order on the website.

"The Man and the Steamer"

The address: st. Mytnaya, 74

"The Man and the Steamer" is another project of Nikolai Chistyakov together with Alexander Zalessky. Look for a coffee corner at Danilovsky Market and at the StrEat gastromarket, where you can also buy freshly roasted coffee. The assortment here, as a rule, is small - only two or three varieties, but it always hits the spot. In addition, coffee is always available on the site - you just need to pay for the purchase and wait for the coffee courier.

The first cup

The address: st. Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya, 10, bldg. 9, block D, 1st floor

The tiny coffee shop on Artplay roasts its own beans. So far, you can buy coffee only when you arrive at a coffee shop, but this is a great reason to visit the cluster and walk along the side streets. The assortment, as a rule, includes several monos in very black (and beautiful) packaging.

Coffee scouts

Coffee Scouts works by subscription only - you can get it for three, six or 12 months. Depending on your subscription, fresh coffee is delivered to your home or work once or twice a month. The varieties change from package to package, so this is a good opportunity to taste coffee from all over the world and decide for sure which you like more - South America or still Africa.

Point Coffee & Food

The address: Sadovnicheskaya emb., 75

A nice coffee shop in the Novokuznetskaya area roasts beans on its own not only for itself, but also for sale. You can buy coffee right in a coffee shop, usually there are several classic monos and blends that are well suited for espresso.

"Doublebee"

It would be strange to do without Doubleby in the selection - the coffee chain occupies a leading position in terms of the volume of grain sold and the number of outlets in the city. Coffee is much more expensive here than other local roasters, but you can rely on the quality of the grain: the chain closely monitors its products and reputation. In addition, finding a "Doublebee" in the city will not be difficult now - in Moscow there are about fifty coffee shops of the chain, so you definitely won't have to go far for a pack.

Rocket's Coffee Roasters

The address: st. 4th Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 2/11

Rocket's coffee can be found in some coffee houses (for example, Roaster on Mayakovskaya) or ordered online: the online store is very convenient and will help you choose the right coffee depending on the brewing method, even if you are new to the coffee business. Many cafes and restaurants in Moscow operate Rocket’s coffee, so you can taste the roasters' grain in advance.

Torrefacto

Torrefacto has been roasting coffee since 2011 and can rightfully be considered one of the first pioneers of the coffee industry. Coffee is delivered all over Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok, on the site you can always find a wide variety of varieties, as well as microlots, that is, coffee of the highest category.

What is a coffee subscription, does green coffee help you lose weight and why the cost of this product in supermarkets is unreasonably high, we talk with the founder of the "Roasting coffee" project Daniil Sokolov.

And we happened to be here. We work with RAEC (Russian Association for Electronic Communications - approx. edition) and periodically participate in the events that they organize. They did not plan to go to St. Petersburg - it seems like initially the organizers said that they had their own coffee. But literally in two days we decided and arrived.

Tell us about the project "Roasting coffee". How long has it existed and what is it?

Our website Zharimkofe.ru has existed since August 2013. We sell freshly roasted coffee by subscription system. You can subscribe for a month, six months, a year, and during this time you can receive high-quality, freshly roasted coffee at home or in the office. A monthly subscription costs 990 rubles, for a year - 790 rubles per month.

How did you get the idea to send coffee by subscription?

I understand correctly, do you buy coffee and roast it yourself?

Yes, we have a professional roaster on our staff. There are large importers of green coffee in Moscow, we buy and roast from them.

Yes, there is a trend now to drink green coffee. Supposedly it helps to lose weight. In fact, there is no sense from this. Such coffee does contain substances that reduce appetite and somehow affect digestion. But this requires green coffee extract. And to get the extract, you need to process a huge amount of coffee in the factory.

In addition, if you consume coffee without heat treatment, without roasting, then you can pick up some dangerous tropical disease.

How many people are working on the Roasting Coffee project?

Five persons. Roaster, two technical specialists - a programmer and a designer who are working on the site, and me and Maxim. The two of us are promoting our company and our product.

Do you and Maxim also deal with packing and shipping?

Packaging - yes. As for delivery, we have a company that completely outsource this process. We only pack and transfer to them. And they are already delivering coffee to the addressee.

How many subscribers does the service have at the moment?

More than a thousand.

And what is the dynamics of growth in the number of subscribers by month?

The biggest increase in subscribers was before the New Year. There was a slight stagnation in winter. And now the rise again. We immediately got quite a lot of subscribers, as we loudly announced ourselves.

What does it mean - loudly declared themselves? Have you invested well in the promotion?

We made a teaser announcing the future discovery. Thanks to him, we have collected a database of contacts - phone numbers and email addresses. And when they opened, they took advantage of this base. In addition, we took part in large-scale urban projects like Afisha-Food in Gorky Park. For the New Year, many people bought our subscription as a gift to friends and colleagues. And at the beginning of spring, when we were forced to slightly raise the subscription price, the people subsided a little. We raised the price due to the increase in the price of coffee from suppliers due to the drought in Brazil.

Are your customers mostly Muscovites? Or a lot of orders from other cities?

At the moment, the majority of orders are from Moscow: about 80 percent of subscribers. The rest are from completely different cities of Russia: Irkutsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Noyabrsk, and so on. They sent to Germany recently - it also came.

What were the costs at the stage of project creation?

Do you have competitors in the subscription business?

Nobody works in the format in which we work. There is a company called Camera Obscura - these are our friends, but they have a slightly different project, closer to a mass purchase than to a subscription. They first say: we are carrying a bag of cool coffee. And they collect money in advance for it. Starbucks deals with coffee subscriptions, but in America, not in Russia.

Why is the subscription format convenient for selling coffee?

First of all, by the fact that we, in fact, borrow from the population. A person pays for a subscription for a year in advance, we receive this money and send him coffee within a year. We can immediately use the funds for promotion. This is the main plus. The second is that we can use upselling. Example: we know for sure that we are delivering coffee to the customer next month. They have already paid for delivery - it is included in the subscription price. Then we suggest ordering something extra for him. For example, a coffee grinder or an aero press. Any product he orders is delivered free of charge.

That is, besides the coffee subscription, the site offers related products?

Yes. Required. Now we are introducing an online store on the Zharimkofe.ru website, in which our subscribers will have a discount on the purchase of goods and free delivery in Russia. Let's say a subscriber subscribes for six months and gets coffee once a month. During this period, we can offer any product 6 times.

I understood correctly - the company is following the path of not only building up its subscriber base, but also expanding the range, increasing the average check?

Quite right.

Do you personally order something by subscription?

Me not. I see no point in ordering socks or cosmetics by subscription. What I might be interested in about subscription products is the products. The same Platypus, which delivers groceries to your home, could make such a model.

I think this is an interesting model. And there are still no large companies that would deliver products by subscription.

What are the main difficulties you have to face?

Therefore, we try to make a high-quality product and write each letter that we put in each order: "If you liked it, be sure to tell your neighbor, friend, everyone." And it works! We also plan to send out free samples. Now there is an opportunity to invest in yourself, send people coffee for free, so that later they subscribe to us.

As we had it: we thought we would start everything now and get rich right away. This is not true! (Laughs - approx. edition). If you choose a subscription system of work, then immediately think about promotion and try a variety of ways for this. Without finding ways to attract customers, it's useless to do anything. Even if all your friends and family say, “Wow, what a great idea! We will definitely be your subscribers! " This is not true! Do you think any of my friends signed up? Nobody! No one! This does not work.

Both the first business, Boombate, and the second, Roasting Coffee, are, in fact, a copy of successful Western business models. Are you planning to create something third? And what, in your opinion, ideas from the West can still successfully take root in our country?

There are many interesting ideas. Naturally, from time to time we think - it would be cool to do this or that. But to start something new without finishing the previous one, I think, is not right. As for success, it seems to me that projects that make a person's life easier may be in demand. All progress is from human laziness. You can create some kind of household appliance or service that will make life easier for a person. And he will be successful. But what exactly this will be is difficult to say.

The interview was prepared by Alena Yarkova