Graduate Blog / Graduate Life

Aroma – The next best way to drink your coffee.

Often the best thing about coffee can be experienced even before the first sip. Yes, we can start enjoying the coffee as soon as our noses sniff in that heavenly sensation. But what if you can not just feel it, but see it too? Enter the brand new coffee concept of AROMA, because, as they say, seeing is believing…

Cup

So there are a zillion coffee lovers, as Starbucks’ income statement will easily confirm. And with coffee, you’re not just looking for a beverage but an ambrosia that will help you wake up in the morning, remain fresh at noon and stay awake at night. However, who knows how long ago your coffee was roasted or what its expiration date was?

Coffee goes stale just like any other food and we are often duped by some brilliant packaging and delirious ambiences. This is because you have no chance to see your coffee being brewed. The only choice you have today is to trust the sellers when they claim to use only Columbian beans that were selected, dried and roasted on some heavenly mountaintop!

That’s until three MBA grads from Babson College decided that genuine coffee lovers deserved to be loved back. Because at Babson, no challenge stays a challenge for too long. The trio is brewing a coffee concept called Aroma that revolves around roasting your coffee, live in front of you, for a fresh and flavored coffee any day, every day. Interestingly, EDENS, one of the nation’s largest retail developer seems to be impressed.

Aroma - Coffee of the gods!

Aroma has been selected as one of the three national finalists for the EDENS smART: The Art of Retail conference that is taking place in New York from Feb 3-5. Aroma’s Chief Designer James Gutierrez reckons “What goes into your coffee impacts how you function all day. Its time to take those coffee breaks seriously!”

The EDENS Retail Challenge is a nationwide competition seeking the most innovative entrepreneurs and the next, best retail concept. A qualified panel of judges has chosen the top three retail concepts from around the country to compete at Nationals on February 3rd, in New York City. All teams that make it to the finals in New York will receive $3,500. The overall winner of the EDENS Retail Challenge will win an additional $10,000 and the chance to bring their retail concept to life.

Alex Lowe, the entrepreneurial co-founder says “Aroma Live-Roast Coffee company will offer something totally new in the coffee world – a store dedicated to the art and craft of home brewing coffee, with live-roasting at its core. Your coffee will be roasted “live”, in front you for maximum freshness, better flavor and a behind-the-scenes look at the coffee life cycle.”

Aroma is positioned as a specialty retailer of premium live roast, whole-bean coffee. The brand wants to deliver an educational, in-person coffee experience, which will include home brewing equipment and wares, limited prepared coffee beverages and gift merchandise. As the team gears up for what could be their first step into the big league, Elvis Lieban, who handles Marketing & Retail Operations says “The competition has allowed us to apply Babson’s classroom concepts and take them to the next level.”

If God ever planned to introduce Adam and Eve to coffee, I’m sure he’d have used Aroma. And you thought that all these days you knew and enjoyed your coffee really well? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but a fresh experience is brewing and it may just change the way you knew, took or drank your coffee.

“Behind every successful man, is a substantial amount of coffee.” – Stephanie Piro.

Here’s to the success of these young men and to some more coffee,

Kurian Babykutty