David Belanich - Portrait on Food Truck
A Francophile and the oldest of three brothers, David takes on the world of haute café, sans problème.
Hometown?
Great Neck, NY, but my soul is from Paris, France.
Alma Mater/Degree:
Middlebury College, BA in Political Science.
Yale University, MA in Political Science.
What is your earliest coffee memory?
During one summer in high school, I lived with a French family in Paris while studying the language. My host-mother used to make me these large, strong pour-over coffees every morning, which kept me wired all day. I think my love of Paris and love of coffee coalesced that summer.
How and why did you get into the coffee business?
After launching the Joyride Truck, which served frozen yogurt and Stumptown coffee on the streets of Manhattan, we came up with the idea of bringing the same awesome coffee to the workplace. Office coffee generally sucks, but there's no reason why it has to. Since then, we've developed relationships with other great roasters, and the rest is history.
How is working with your brothers?
We've always been a close-knit family, so working with my brothers came naturally to me. Our father and uncle were business partners, so we had always known about a successful brother-business model in our minds. Plus, it's a real privilege to be able to see your brothers almost every day. Sure, we fight, but having that bond makes for a much less stressful work environment.
Do you work uniquely with tech start-ups? If so, why?
The short answer is no; we have customers in advertising, publishing, production, finance, in addition to tech.
Our customers do, however, have much in common: they tend to be firms at the cutting edge of what they do with a real emphasis on employee satisfaction.
Where do you see the coffee industry being in a few years?
The coffee's only getting better, and the number of talented people who are dedicating themselves to artisanal direct-trade coffee is only increasing. So you can expect better and more.
What are some goals for your company, short-term and long-term?
That's a tough question to answer. In the short-term, I want to continue to solidify our position as the premium office coffee service in New York City.
Pet Peeves?
Careless errors, mistakes that are made out of laziness.
Interests?
Intellectually, everything. Physically, great food and drink (coffee included of course), skiing, traveling, and all things French.
Best Feature?
My wife Tesalia and my boxer dogs, Otto & Lola.
Bad Habits?
I steal other peoples' pens in the office. Then fly into a rage whenever anyone takes one of mine.
Favorite Movie?
The Rock. "Carla was the prom queen."
Favorite Musicians?
Johnny Cash and Mozart.
Favorite Cup of Coffee?
Ethiopia Yirgacheffes. They're in season right now, and I'm in heaven.
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage?
Depending on my mood and the situation, either Bourbon on the rocks or an extra dry Tanquaray Martini straight-up with a twist in a rock-glass. (I hate Martini glasses.)
Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage?
Other than coffee? Orange juice or Grapefruit juice.
