Whats one of the biggest daily struggles for college students?
Waking up on time.
Johnny Fayad and Ali Kothari had the same problem.
Image from newgroundsfood.com
But instead of complaining about it, they created a solution: coffee-infused energy bars.
Thats right, you could eat your coffee.
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They were constantly running late and didnt have time for breakfast or coffee.
And thats how the CoffeeBar andNew Grounds Foodwere born.
We started making them for our friends in our dorm room, CEO and co-founder Fayad says.
They decided to put their CoffeeBars to the test.
The duo ended up winning the audience favorite award and $500.
Did you know?
Four months later, Fayad and Kothari used those bars to helplaunch a Kickstartercampaign.
The college juniors spread the word on campus and reached out to friends and family before the campaign started.
The goal was to earn another $10,000 and they did it in less than 15 hours.
The business is growing steadily.
It does production runs every two months and is seeing an increase in demand for the products in stores.
While the company is still running at a loss, the founders expect that to change soon.
Were shooting to break even in November, Fayad explains.
But their teamwork makes it manageable.
Were great complements to each other, Fayad said.
Hes the back end of the business and operations and finance.
Im the sales and fundraising.
Were three years running.
We joke around that its… like a marriage.
Interested in Launching a Startup in College?
Before New Grounds Food, Fayad admits that their experience was basically just eating packaged goods.
So how do you go from consumer to creator?
Start Now
The earlier, the better!
Dont let your age deter you.
Being a student is thebest time to launch your own company, Kothari said.
You dont have a lot of risk.
Plus, students have access to so many resources.
Kothari said being students is what turned heads and opened doors for Fayad and him.
They werent afraid to ask the pros for help.
Bloggers have been a great support for us, Fayad said.
One thing Kothari wishes theyd done from the beginning was pay closer attention to their numbers especially expenses.
It reminds me that all it takes is an idea and maybe waking up on time once in awhile.
Your Turn: What kind of startup would you create with a $10,000 grant?
Teyonna Edwards is an editorial intern at The Penny Hoarder.
Her hobbies include reading, traveling, and pretending she knows what shes doing.
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