Ones to Watch
QSR Magazine
December 1, 2003
While the majority of the industry’s coffee concepts focus on creating an experience and expanding their offerings, Mountain Mudd operators worry about only one thing–serving a great cup of java. No paninis. No oversized, Scandinavian-inspired chairs. One 8’x8’ Mountain Mudd kiosk fits into a parking space.
Without all the frills, Mountain Mudd’s private-label blend is regularly touted as a “Best of…,” perhaps in part because its prices are more in line with a cup of joe sold at the local c-store than the grande lattes found at the local Starbucks. Plus, it offers drive-thru service.
Though drive-thru coffee is nothing new, the concept is becoming more popular. In fact, quick-serve coffee powerhouse Dunkin Donuts has retrofitted many of its existing stores with a drive-thru in hopes of catching more of the mobile coffee consumer market. But Mountain Mudd has an advantage over the field of such “johnny come latelys.” It’s been catering to that particular market since 1994, when its two co-founders opened their first kiosk in Billings, Montana.
Nine years later, Mountain Mudd distributes over 200 private products to co-op members scattered across the country. The company also does brisk business selling its hand-assembled kiosk prototypes to independents.
Though the company had a few legal troubles this summer, its expansion has not slowed. In Charlotte, North Carolina, alone, 10 new units are expected to go up over the next two years. On average, a unit costs $68,500 to build and outfit. An additional co-op fee gives the owner/operator the right to carry the Mountain Mudd name.
Why it Bears Watching — Having a specialty coffee jones does not necessarily mean one has the time to stand in line at a specialty coffee shop. For the addicted-on-the-go, drive-thru coffee kiosks like Mountain Mudd must surely seem like godsends. With Mountain Mudd—branded drive-thru coffee kiosks scheduled to open in Arizona, Southern California, Utah, Texas, the Carolinas, and Hawaii, the Billings-based, coffee company intends to be a national player. Visit source.