Chris Bogdan spent $5 or more a day at coffee shops for more of his college career than he likes to remember. The regular caffeine and sugar rush from his regular coffee and muffin came at a cost he thought could be lower, so he and a friend came up with a start-up to do that.
Get Up and Go makes caffeine-infused muffins that pack the same kick as Bogdan's coffee and pastry habit. The difference is they cost $3.50 and are a convenient grab-and-go item.
Bogdan and Zach Rose, both University of Michigan undergraduate students, launched Get Up and Go last summer not long after Rose and friends tasted some of Bogdan's first test treats. Bogdan, a neuroscience major, studied chemistry that helps show him how to make caffeinated food tasty.
"I have this background in science so I can find a way to mask the taste of the caffeine," Bogdan says.
The Ann Arbor-based company is focused on online sales and is working on a deal with
ThinkGeek.com, according to Bogdan. The two are looking to ramp up sales and break into the retail markets this summer after Bogdan graduates from college and can focus on the business full-time.
"Our goal is to do $750,000 to $1 million in sales," Bogdan says.
Source: Chris Bogdan, CEO of Get Up and Go
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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