Fred Kruger went from roasting coffee beans in his corporate office to owning one of the most recognisable brands on Stellenbosch University (SU) campus. Although Freddie was reluctant to share his secret to a perfect cappuccino, he did share the story behind developing the brand he now calls his “My Brew family”.
It had always been a dream for Fred Kruger (or Freddie, as he insists being called) to own his own business.
“In my office, I had one of those popcorn machines. You know, the ones you buy from Tafelberg. I started roasting coffee in my office with that little thing and very soon I made a lot of new friends,” he laughed. At the time, he was a sales and marketing manager for a corporate company.
His colleagues seemed to follow the aromas of the freshly roasted coffee beans and became more persistent in their pursuit to purchase them.
“The more I asked them to back off – in a nice way – because I had work to do, the more people started pushing envelopes of money underneath my office door,” he joked.
“When I would open my door, I would find like a hundred bucks on my floor with a little note,” Kruger added.
Due to the growing interest in his roasted coffee beans, Freddie began doing market research to see if the idea could be a lucrative business venture.
“I started going around and asking questions, sort of pretending I had a massive roastery, even though it was just a little popcorn machine in my office,” he said. “My question was simple: If I have a better product that is better priced, will you support me? And almost no one said no.”
Freddie then told his wife that he believed there was a business opportunity to sell his coffee beans. He then started to upscale and began roasting coffee beans in his garage.
“I imported my first roaster and started roasting in my garage. It’s weird how all businesses somehow start in the garage you know?” he said.
A gap in the market
Within six months, Freddie replaced his corporate salary from supplying beans to local coffee shops and churches. He resigned from his corporate job in 2014 and decided to pursue the coffee business full-time.
Shortly after perfecting the roast and negotiating with the landlords, My Brew’s first kiosk opened at the Neelsie Student Centre in 2015.
Freddie Kruger (left) and Lewis Chigumbu (right) at the My Brew kiosk when it first opened in 2015. Lewis is My Brew’s longest-serving barista. PHOTO: Facebook/ My Brew Coffee Roastery
The idea of opening up a coffee shop at the Neelsie Student Centre was born out of the lack of good coffee available on campus at the time, said Freddie.
“I am of the opinion that students are connoisseurs when it comes to coffee because they drink so much of the flippen stuff!” he jokingly said.
The reason My Brew became so popular, Freddie believes, was that it filled a much-needed gap in the market.
“You know, my business model is: quality, good service and affordability. I think that’s the mistake that those businesses were making in 2014,” he added. “They thought they could serve sub-standard coffee and get away with it.”
The company’s “Since Yesterday” slogan, according to Freddie, is a nod to My Brew’s roasting process.
“Who cares what happened in the past? If you want good coffee, you want it now. Hence, my coffee is always roasted fresh. So today, you drink yesterday’s roast,” he said.
Freddie serving freshly roasted coffee at the My Brew store in the Neelsie Student Centre. The store opened in 2017 as an expansion of the original kiosk. PHOTO: Facebook/ My Brew Coffee Roastery
The My Brew family
Freddie’s favourite part of doing business in Stellenbosch is the students.
“I sat in my office my whole corporate career. It was terrible,” he said. “I now deal with people who are excited to see me all day. Maybe not because I’m a nice guy but because they want what I’m selling. But that’s also okay,” he laughed.
Freddie enjoys being part of his customer’s lives and their academic journey at SU. He recalls sponsoring My Brew coffee for a student who travelled to Antarctica for his PhD research.
“One of our customers did his PhD on the Cape Agulhas last year so I sponsored coffee for him. It’s pretty cold down there and proper coffee is important,” he laughs. “I’ve got photos of him drinking My Brew coffee next to the Arctic belt.”
To accompany the long days on a trip to Antarctica, Kruger supplied coffee to one of My Brew’s customers who did his PhD research on the Cape Agulhas. The My Brew mug is pictured next to the Arctic belt. PHOTO: Facebook/ My Brew Coffee Roastery.
My Brew is different from its competitors in the Neelsie Student Centre because they roast their beans on-site and thus have control over the quality of their coffee, said Freddie.
“Quality for me is very important. That’s why I roast my own beans and own a roastery. You have no control over your product if you don’t have control over the manufacturing,” he said.
Stellenbosch residents are spoilt for choice due to the number of coffee shops in town. However, Freddie believes he is his only competitor and limitation.
“Competition is always good. It keeps the quality of the brand where it should be,” he said. “I will always try and outclass myself and not my competitor. But I’m not oblivious about their quality either.”
Giving back
Owing to My Brew’s big presence on campus, Freddie takes social responsibility seriously.
“For every cup of coffee we sell, R1 is given to the dean’s fund to support people who cannot afford to study. It’s an initiative we started a while ago,” he said.
Freddie said that My Brew also sponsors a handful of SU residences and Private Student Organisation (PSO) gazebo’s, sports teams and clothing.
“It’s our way of saying thank you,” he said.
My Brew often does collaborations with Stellenbosch University (SU) residences and private student organisations (PSO). In this instance, for a limited time, students could purchase an ice cream with their coffee as part of Irene week in 2017. PHOTO: Facebook/ My Brew Coffee Roastery
Adapting and reinventing
Freddie describes his experience of being a business owner during the nationwide lockdown as someone who is sitting in a canoe with holes in it, taking on water. With My Brew having to close temporarily during the early stages of lockdown, Freddie has had to look into other ways of reaching his customers.
“It’s not easy. We still have costs that we need to cover which we are trying to do with the website. It’s always something I’ve wanted to do, but had to put aside,” he said.
Since the beginning of May, customers have been able to purchase My Brew filter coffee, branded mugs and plungers off the website to satisfy their coffee needs while being off campus.
“Because we have such a huge following on-campus and loyalty base, I treat the website as its own store with its own identity,” said Freddie.
Before My Brew was able to reopen for limited hours during weekdays, Freddie missed the tangible energy students brought to campus. Thus the website was meant to reflect the enthusiasm of the My Brew community.
“In the about section on the website, it’s not about us, it’s about our customers. You guys validate us on a daily basis. We are who we are because of you guys. And my website says that,” he said.
Finding ways to diversify the My Brew brand during the nationwide lockdown echoes Freddie’s business philosophy.
“You shouldn’t run out of plans. Before you hit an obstacle, you need to be sure you have an idea of how to treat the obstacle. A ‘never say die’ attitude is what you must have,” he said.
The perfect roast
Freddie built his business from his popcorn machine in his corporate office to having four My Brew outlets across SU campuses. Although Freddie believes that there is always room for My Brew to expand, he is satisfied with the product and brand he has built over the last few years.
“The question I always ask myself is: ‘How can I make this better?’ I’ll be honest with you, as I sit here, I don’t know how to better my product.”
Freddie pictured in the My Brew store at the Neelsie Student Centre. He eagerly awaited the return of students to SU campus. PHOTO: Facebook/ My Brew Coffee Roastery