Crimson Cup Coffee

A really chill place to hang out with friends. It's quiet there so you can read a few books in there or get your work done on your laptop.

ac wasnt working one day

Greg Ubert was not happy. The recent Harvard graduate had everything the world expected him to want. A high profile first job in Chicago. A handsome salary. A bright future in computer software. A big city at his feet. Yet just when it seemed he should be on top of the world, he had come to the stinging realization that he just could not fall in love with computer software. What’s more, many of his colleagues were similarly uninspired.

Was this his future?

That’s why, at the tender age of 23, Greg Ubert had his first aha moment and made a decision that would change his life. He decided to find a career that inspired and energized him. Then he acted on it.

He began by defining what he really wanted from his work and life and brainstormed his three essential must-haves. They contrasted sharply with his life at the software giant. Greg wanted:

An engaging work life,
A fun environment and
A culture of giving
No small tasks. But as a young man with an economics degree from Harvard, Greg had, of course, a number of options. However, he began thinking about the successful auto detailing service he’d run during his summer vacations. He’d enjoyed working with people he liked and helping make his customers’ lives just a little bit easier. And it soon became clear that starting his own business was the way to go.

Taking the leap
Greg’s conventionally promising career in Chicago lasted another year and a half. During that time, he considered many opportunities. But, in the end, specialty coffee was his answer. He decided his mission would be to blend and roast a better cup of coffee. Greg, a true entrepreneur, believed in his concept. “I think it has viability,” Greg said at the time. “I think people will taste the difference.”

Together, the three men became one super cupper. While they each had pretty good palettes, Armando had the taste for espresso, Greg had the taste for lattes and mochas and Chris had the taste for drip coffee. Over the course of nine months, they created hundreds of blends in pursuit of that perfect cup.

The result was Armando’s Blend, still Crimson Cup’s #1 product.

This was how Greg thought it should work. What he didn’t know was how unique it was. Then, in 1997, he went to a convention in Atlanta. The Crimson Cup booth was set up in the vendor’s space, as were many other coffee roasters. During a lull in the day, Greg decided to do a little market research. At the first competitor’s booth, he introduced himself.
An engaging work life,
A fun environment and
A culture of giving
And truly, everyone who works at Crimson Cup is energized by their customers’ successes. They believe they can improve the world and others with their philosophy of L.Y.F.E. (Leave you Feeling Energized) and L.O.V.E. (Leave Others Very Energized). It’s just the Crimson way…

This is an amazing thing; an amazing feeling. And it’s a whole lot more interesting than computer software. At least it is for Greg.