Introducing the Beautiful Joyride Vans

Joyride Coffee, Wrapped Vans

Voilà! Thanks to our friends from Endash Space, we have beautiful, newly wrapped Joyride Vans! If you see these colors rolling around Manhattan, expect some cold brew kegerator action and some great office coffee.

Joyride Coffee, Wrapped Vans

Joyride Coffee, Wrapped Vans

Noah Belanich – Staff Bio

Noah Belanich, Joyride Coffee

Hometown?

Great Neck, NY.

Alma Mater/Degree:

Pomona College. PPE,  an interdisciplinary major combining philosophy, politics, and economics, with a concentration in economics.

How did you get into coffee?

Through Joyride. Before starting at Joyride, I just saw coffee as an energy drink rather than the delicious nectar of the gods I know it to be now.

What is your first coffee memory?

It would have to be my father drinking coffee when I was really young, but I don't know if that really counts. My first memory of coffee where I actually consumed it was when I ate chocolate-covered coffee beans in the San Jose airport when I was fourteen years old. My flight had been delayed, and I was there alone when I discovered a little gift shop selling local products with free samples. I must have had a half-pound of those things. They also had some coffee liqueur, which I most definitely didn't try – definitely not.

How is it working with your brothers?

Complicated, but the best part is that we can be honest with each other without worrying about hurting anyone’s feelings.

What are your thoughts on tea vs. coffee?

I like a good tea now and again, but I have never been blown away by any tea the way I have been with some great coffees. I am a fan of homemade unsweetened iced tea with just a little vanilla extract in it, particularly on a hot day when I have already drunk too much cold brew.

Pet Peeves?

Mornings. Organized people.

Bad Habits?

Netflix. Canceling plans last minute.

Favorite Color?

Aubergine.

Favorite Music?

Sheet Music.

Favorite Cup of Coffee?

2012 Natural wash Yirgacheffe from Blue Bottle.

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage?

Bourbon, any kind really, right now I pretty much get Bulleit 10.

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage?

Coffee, of course, and I don't really have a particular preparation I love above all. It really depends on my mood.

Team Profile: David Belanich

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.

Team Profile: Kristen Lee

Kristen was born and raised in beautiful California and doesn't understand why she ever left to go to school at Amherst College, where she studies Art History and French. She enjoys golf, eating food, taking pictures of food, cooking food, singing, painting, hanging out with friends, and maintaining her food blog (shameless plug: http://lehungryotter.wordpress.com). Her favorite food is Korean, and she often goes by the name of Kleeball.

Kristen Lee, Joyride Coffee

Hometown?

Los Altos, CA.

Alma Mater/Degree:

Amherst College, 2014. Art & the History of Art, French.

What's your first coffee-related memory?

I remember walking to the nearest Starbucks by myself and feeling really old, when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I think I ordered a Tazo Wildberry Tea – not a coffee, unfortunately.

How did you find Joyride Coffee? Why did you decide to work here? Are/were you a coffee drinker?

I had worked at an investment company and a PR company, and I wanted to try something different this summer. Having grown up in Silicon Valley, I wanted to try my luck at a start-up. I also wanted to be in New York, so I looked up "Top Start-Ups in NYC" and came across Joyride. It was also perfect because I wanted to learn more about the food and beverage industry.

Are you the type to sit down at a café and slowly sip a cup of coffee or do you usually grab n go?

I love just sitting and people watching at cafés. I think it's the perfect setting for a good conversation with a good friend or two.

Do you consider coffee a trendy drink?

I used to only drink coffee purely as a strong source of caffeine, but I'm slowly learning all of the nuanced tastes that come with different cups of coffee, and the differences between a good cup and a bad cup. It's just as delicate as wine is, and the wider public, including myself, seem to be learning that. With that in mind, good coffee is becoming a much more interesting and trendy product.

Pet Peeves?

Rude people. Entitlement. Dirty surroundings.

Interests?

Golf. Painting. Singing. Music. Food. Photography. Blogging. People.

Best Feature?

My general love for people.

Bad Habits?

I'm sensitive in every way.

Ideal Date?

Good dinner, good conversation, good bar for drinks, karaoke in K-Town.

Celebrity Crush?

Celebrity Crush(es): John Krasinski, Darren Criss, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Favorite Color?

Shades of blue and bright pink.

Favorite Movie?

Finding Neverland. Pan's Labyrinth. The Great Gatsby. Inglourious Basterds.

Favorite Music?

Pretty eclectic mix.

Favorite Book?

Harry...Potter...among others – The Alchemist. Just too many. I feel bad for asking everybody else these questions because they are impossible to answer without over-analyzing what the choices will say about you.

Favorite Cup of Coffee?

Turkish or Vietnamese Coffee.

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage?

Red wine. Mojitos. Mango Beer from Delirium Café in Brussels.

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage?

Tiger Spice Chai from Coupa Café, tea and coffee – le duh.

Team Profile: Anna Quincy

Anna, our wonderful Business Development Intern, is from sunny Melbourne, Florida, where she spent her days going to Disney World, watching shuttle launches, and bothering her parents. After realizing the sun exposure would lead to premature aging, she decided to go to Barnard College, where she currently studies economics and history. She is on the Columbia sailing team where she constantly pushes the limits of hypothermia and spends the rest of her time avoiding the winter. Fifty percent of her daily nutrition comes from popcorn, and her favorite coffee is the Stumptown’s Ethiopian single origin.

Anna Quincy Joyride Coffee

Hometown?

Cocoa Beach, FL.

Alma Mater/Degree:

Barnard, 2015. Economics.

What's your first coffee-related memory?

My parents are both avid coffee drinkers, and they always had a cup with breakfast.

How did you find Joyride Coffee? Why did you decide to work here? Are/were you a coffee drinker?

I wanted to do an internship at a small business, so I googled "NYC start-ups" and found Joyride. I thought the concept was great. I've also been an adamant coffee drinker since high school, so Joyride is a perfect fit.

Are you the type to sit down at a café and slowly sip a cup of coffee or do you usually grab n go?

I generally love hanging out in cafés, and during the school year, I usually do work there. (Shout out to the Joe's on Columbia's campus.)

Do you consider coffee a trendy drink?

Any ol' cup of coffee isn't really that special, but artisanal coffee from places like Stumptown can be pretty trendy.

Pet Peeves?

Not having gum. To say I have an addiction would be an understatement.

Interests?

Sailing, tennis, and watching movie trailers. (They're the best part of the movie.)

Best Feature?

There are simply too many to possibly choose one.

Bad Habits?

I am really messy. No matter how hard I try, the clutter seems to follow me wherever I go.

Celebrity Crush?

James Franco.

Favorite Color?

Periwinkle.

Favorite Movie?

Good Will Hunting.

Favorite Music?

Depends on the day.

Favorite Book?

Lolita. Is that creepy?

Favorite Cup of Coffee?

Cold Brew.

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage?

G&T's forever.

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage?

Obviously coffee.