Community Highlights: Meet Jim Lamancusa of Cusa Tea and Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Lamancusa. 

Hi Jim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
While I was on a backpacking trip in 2015, all my friends were complaining about how bad Starbucks Via instant coffee tasted and I was carrying around wet, soggy teabags. I and wondered why no one had made an instant tea or coffee that actually tasted good? 

So, I literally created a new technology to make instant coffee and tea, complete with 30 patents! The problem with existing dehydration methods are that they use high heat, or freeze-drying to dehydrate the coffee or tea. Both of these significantly damage the flavor, aroma, and beneficial properties of the beverage. My technology is a modification of the botanical extraction process where I gently cold-brew the tea and coffee and then use evaporative dehydration to remove the water. The end result is barista-quality coffee and tea that’s ready wherever and whenever with hot or cold water. 

We launched in 2017 and have since grown to over 2,500 retailers like REI, Whole Foods, Wegmans, King Soopers, Safeway, HEB, and many more as well as a large online business. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! There are honestly too many struggles to count, as is likely the case for most startup businesses, but I will go through a few of the top ones. First and foremost, convincing people that your can have a barista-quality cup of tea or coffee instantly has been a challenge. There is a lot of stigma around the category and every other instant coffee or tea really do taste inferior to the fresh brewed options. But not with us. So, we put our money where our mouth is and offer a free sample pack on our website so people can try our product at a lower barrier of entry. The second challenge has been fundraising. Our business has grown over 100% almost every year since we started and that requires a lot of cash for marketing and inventory. Getting investors to believe in the story early on was challenging for sure. Luckily, now that we are a bit bigger, the numbers speak for themselves, which makes investment easier. Lastly, I’ll mention the pandemic. Like many businesses, we had to reinvent ourselves in early 2020 when we had 90% of our business through grocery stores evaporate overnight. We shifted to online and direct-to-consumer, which saved the business. Now we are much healthier overall because we have direct relationships with our customers versus having to go through distributors and grocery stores! 

We’ve been impressed with Cusa Tea and Coffee, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am super proud that we ‘reinvented’ a product and technology that was ubiquitous but had a bad rap. Over 90% of US customers drink coffee and tea daily. But before Cusa Tea and Coffee, you either had to choose awful tasting instant drinks, expensive coffee shop drinks, or wasteful homebrew methods like the Keurig. We offer convenient and cost-effective barista-quality tea and coffee that you can drink at home, or on the go. 

I am also really proud of our environmental initiatives. I believe that we are the only coffee or tea company in the world that can claim that all of our used coffee and tea go back to the soil after they are brewed. This happens at our manufacturing facility where they are composted. In addition, all of our packaging is either compostable or recyclable. Lastly, we source from only organic tea farms and Rainforest Alliance coffee plantations. We never use anything artificial. Just real coffee, tea, fruits, herbs, and spices! 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Be flexible and adaptive! I think we are fortunate that we are a small business which makes it easier to pivot when changes occur. We found it relatively easy to shift our business from grocery stores to online which a lot of bigger brands may have found challenging. 

Pricing:

• Tea for around .50 cents
• Coffee for around .67 cents

Contact Info:

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CusaTeaCoffee
• Website: www.DrinkCusa.com