Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Lemke.
Peter, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Arizona and graduated from ASU with a degree in Supply Chain Management. I moved to San Diego in 2009 and started my first company in 2011. I’ve been building businesses predominantly in the food, beverage & hospitality industry ever since. Prior to becoming a business owner, I worked in sales for a beverage distributor, so Dropkick is truly a culmination of all my professional & entrepreneurial work experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For Dropkick specifically, it has been anything but smooth. The pandemic put incredible strain on the business as we import coffee beans from all over the world, so we rely heavily on a fluid supply chain. We also wholesale most of our product to retailers who were hit very hard by the shutdowns, so we had to be patient and understanding as they too were rebounding from the pandemic. Since then we have built an incredibly strong infrastructure and grown our distribution channels consistently across San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles County and recently into Arizona.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Dropkick was created with the intention of being a trailblazer & a bit of an outlaw in the coffee industry. We import coffee beans from notable regions like Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil and Papua New Guinea. We take pride in being a specialty coffee roaster providing premium coffee beans to our customers. We are also well known for our popular nitro cold brew! We package it in cans and kegs and we do not outsource any of the process to a third party or co-packer. From the time the green coffee arrives at our facility, to the time it goes out the door, it is all done by our talented team! We’re very proud of being a San Diego-born & brewed company and work very hard to connect with our community. And to answer the most common question we get asked, our most popular flavor is our Horchata Cold Brew!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My opinion on mentors is different than most. There’s many benefits that come from aligning with someone who has experience beyond yours, but by no means is it mandatory. Most mentees are looking for ways to avoid the pitfalls or challenges that come from starting a business, but most mentors became successful by overcoming all those challenges. Do not let this be a stopping point for you! A mentor wants to see someone who is taking action, making progress, and not waiting for he/she to be their knight & shining armor.
In regards to networking and mentorship, you always need to remember that both require bringing some sort of value to the receiving party. People like doing business with people they like. It’s often more binding than any written contract.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dropkickbrew.com
- Instagram: @dropkickbrew @petelemke
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dropkickbrew
