Penn grads have a tendency to succumb to the pressures of the “mold.” The brains, baristas and chefs behind the newest food trucks on campus, Hub Bub and Coup de Taco, however, had nagging desires to liberate themselves from the norm. Thankfully, the present Quakers get to reap in all the gastronomic benefits.
En route to Boston University business school, Drew Crockett took a hiatus from his educational plans. Ideas of a coffee truck had ruminated with him as he sat on the Deutsche Bank trading floor. Although he loved his intense Wall Street job, Crockett decided to eschew business school for (coffee) beans. Bags packed and apartment rented, this 2005 Penn alum abandoned his original destination, deferred his BU acceptance and hopped on the coach back to his hometown of Philadelphia.
Crockett began his own version of Pimp My Ride, substituting a clunker for a mail truck and video games and sound systems for a La Marzocco espresso machine and Fetco coffeemakers. And thus the Hub Bub Coffee truck was born.
The planning resides in the details, and Drew has missed few if any of the nuances. He has a catchy brand name (inspired by his grandma’s lingo) and Stumptown gourmet beans. The gregarious barista and business mind behind the truck feels passionate about filling a void of high quality coffee on campus (a void he felt while a student here) by bringing Portland beans to the streets of Philly.
While the future of the truck remains unclear, don’t be surprised if a few years down the road, Hub Bub is a big name café.
Three others have taken a similar path to Crockett’s, combining passions with top-notch college educations. Peter Berman, Jeff Henretig and Richard Lopatin are the forces behind aptly named Coup de Taco.
The three hope the new fusion taco truck transcends the lunch truck title, becoming a “food option” for dinner and late night cravings.
Although Jeff showed interest in opening a healthy food chain, the three agree opening a food truck was not an established part of their occupational plan. These longtime childhood friends attribute their newest venture to serendipitous events, mainly Center City Sips. Every Wednesday they would use their friends as taco-tasting guinea pigs, using their feedback to improve the eclectic recipes. Word of mouth played a huge role in the success; people began calling and inquiring about the taco tastings.
Only three months ago, the truck was a vision; now, after combining recipes from mom’s pantry and cookbooks as well as tweaking the flavors based on friendly criticism, the three-taco menu launched on 40th and Locust.
The business-minded trio focuses on combining creativity with business knowledge. In anticipation of a high volume of customers, they spent the summer sitting outside Magic Carpet calculating customers per hour served and time to assemble meals. Using the Magic model, which they describe as the “pinnacle” of lunch trucks, and some of their own techniques (thank goodness Jeff was an OPIM concentration when he was a Penn MBA student), Coup de Taco should be a very efficient mobile eatery.
Combining marketing techniques from formal education, corporate work experience and affable service (Peter likes to talk to and engage every customer) the taco conquistadors hope to establish Coup de Taco as a brand name that soon may venture beyond the road and into retail locations. With such a catchy name, the revolution is sure to catch on.
