Crazy flavors, quirky packaging, delightful themes—these are the ways Coffee Over Cardio is reimagining the traditionally masculine drink completely. Inspired by millennial aesthetic, the company is aiming to change the way people perceive coffee forever. Millennials are known as a generation that empowers and lifts others as they take on self-discovery and career growth—and this is exactly what the founders of Coffee Over Cardio did.
Together, Abbey and Mike Crowson did the initial market research for their coffee idea, designed the bags, and tested the coffees. Finally, from their little apartment, they launched Coffee Over Cardio in December 2017 with the first four roasts. Three years later, the company has launched over forty products, including coffees, K-cups, apparel, electrolytes, creamers, and more. Despite having zero investors, the company has managed to scale quickly, breaking over $5 million in sales in 2020 alone.
Coffee Over Cardio products come in all kinds of different flavors and colors, and that’s what customers notice first when they visit the site. The fun and vibrant packaging bring a welcome uniqueness into the coffee space, which is predominantly more serious. The bags of coffee have a one-way air valve as well, which not only helps keep the product fresh but also serves as a way for customers to smell the flavor.
The products come in a variety of fun, unexpected flavors such as Saturdaze Chocolate Donut, Messy Bun Cinnamon Bun, Birthday Cake, and more. These flavors are made with extracts—there are no added sugars, artificial flavors, or anything that might raise a health-conscious customer’s eyebrow. In 2020, Coffee Over Cardio expanded their collection to offer one-off exclusive new flavors each month as part of a subscription called Abbey’s Secret Stash. So far, the subscription service has enjoyed smashing success and has built a community of coffee lovers around the company. Abbey’s Secret Stash has gone from 0 to 5,000 subscribers in only 11 months.
Coming from a health and fitness background, Abbey and Mike Crowson have also found creative ways to bring in health supplements to the coffee world. They developed a unique MCT oil-based creamer that contains nootropics—supplements that increase mental clarity, cognitive function, and focus. Additionally, they made the first electrolyte made-to-go into the coffee. Hydrates are similar to energy drinks without all the sugar and calories, and they come in dessert flavors like Salted Caramel and Buttered Toffee. The success of the Hydrates line has given way for the creation of more flavors to mix into plain water, such as Strawberry Daiquiri and Peach Tea.
Mike Crowson is the co-founder and owner of Coffee Over Cardio. He grew up in a small town in Alabama and began chasing his entrepreneurial dreams by moving to NYC when he was 22. Shortly after, he had an opportunity to join the marketing team as employee number 9 of one of the flagship social media-based mega-monsters. His experience there set him up further to be successful in his own ventures. In 2016, he left to once again focus on his own ventures. At the time, he was running the backend marketing for multiple individuals in the fitness industry when he met Abbey. A few months into their long-distance relationship, they came up with their biggest idea—an online coffee company—and the rest is history. Mike runs a second company, Fit Legacy Marketing.
Mike and Abbey Crowson have projected to hit over $5 million in sales in 2020. In the next five years, Coffee Over Cardio hopes to break $20 million in sales annually with just ecommerce sales. The founders are looking into increasing production on the global scale to tap into the international coffee market. In the future, it won’t be surprising to see the Birthday Cake Coffee sold in stores worldwide.
Take a look at the variety of coffee products over at the Coffee Over Cardio website and Instagram.