A Facebook ad enticing Nick Soucek to buy boxed coffee, similar to boxed wine, had an unexpected result. Instead of purchasing the product, Soucek found himself wondering if he could make his own. The query was the genesis of Elevated Aspect Cold Brew, a twist on locally made cold brew that started out being shipped straight to customers’ doorsteps.
The Grind
At first, Soucek merely wanted to see if there were other local companies focusing strictly on cold brew in Omaha.
“I noticed that there was nothing in Omaha,” he said. “As I did more research, I found that most decent sized cities had at least one or two companies that just did cold brew coffee. I thought it was an opportunity.”
Elevated Aspect Cold Brew was born and Soucek went to work finding the right coffee supplier who not only had a quality product but would also work with a startup.
“Some larger companies didn’t even want to talk to me because we would have to buy in bulk,” Soucek said.
He eventually found fellow coffee lover and entrepreneur Matt Boshart, owner of Reboot Roasting. Boshart founded Reboot Roasting in Omaha in 2015 as an online retailer, eventually growing to a wholesale supplier and adding a subscription service.
“I remember when I first started Reboot I needed just a couple of pieces to fall into place so I could take off,” Boshart said. “For him, one of his missing puzzle pieces was developing a relationship with a roaster. I was super pumped to be able to be that puzzle piece.”
Boshart agreed to sell Soucek beans at a wholesale price with no “crazy minimums.”
“We started with just one roast (Columbian), and now we offer three different roasts from him and a bunch of different flavored roasts,” Soucek said.
The similar business models, which focus on wholesale and direct to customer sales, sparked a professional and personal relationship between Boshart and Soucek.
“We’ve been able to freely share info back and forth to help each other succeed,” Boshart said. “I’m always impressed when he lets me sample a new product.”
Taste the Difference
What makes Elevated Aspect Cold Brew unique is twofold.
First, it uses sterile filtration to package the product. The process is generally more time consuming and costly according to Soucek.
“That’s something that separates us from about 95% of cold brew companies in the market,” he said.
The other option, he said, is to pasteurize the product with high heat, which is not only quicker and cheaper, but also extends the shelf life.
But “the heat ruins the flavor of the coffee,” he said.
Second, the product itself is a 1.5-liter pouch that contains a coffee concentrate that when prepared makes double its volume, up to 3 liters, and is shelf stable for a month.
Elevated Aspect is one of a few local coffee shops that offers locally made concentrate. Providing a concentrate rather than pre-made cold brew not only saves space in the fridge, but also allows for personalized tastes.
To use the concentrate, you combine one part concentrate with an equal amount of another liquid — such as black coffee, milk or water. This dilutes the concentrate. Depending on the customers preference the ratios can be adjusted.
Available year round are: Columbian Roast, Ethiopian Roast, Honduran Roast, Espresso Roast, Cinnamon Vanilla, Caramel, Irish Cream, and French Vanilla. Both Columbia and Caramel have a decaf option.
Soucek brought back the Pumpkin Spice concentrate for the Fall and launched Maple Vanilla for the winter season.
Convenient Coffee
While the bulk of orders over the past year have been online, Soucek is expanding availability and convenience with the addition of distribution at the Shadow Lake Towne Center Hy-Vee location in Papillion.
“We sold 100 units our first month,” he said. “Now we’re in our second Hy-Vee and ideally we’d like to be in most if not all the Hy-Vees in Omaha.”
The second location is on 90th Street and West Center Road. He’s placing emphasis on demos at the two Omaha locations before considering expanding to other markets, such as Lincoln and Des Moines.
In August last year, Elevated Aspect introduced its Nitro Cans, which is currently being sold at other local businesses such as Kros Strain Brewery, Café Postale and Carter & Rye. With double the shelf life, Soucek is hoping that Nitro Cans will open up distribution with other cafes.
In September he announced that he had moved into his own space in Bellevue and was adding new equipment to help him continue to expand.
Soucek is quick to note all the local business that have helped him grow during the first year and is paying it forward by partnering with other startups, like Creme de la Creme.
“I know it’s hard to find customers when you first get started, so I thought it would be nice to have [Chef Jeff’s] products on our website and offer them to our customers,” he said. “I got things off the ground, and I would like to see other people do the same thing.”
Website: www.Elevatedcoldbrew.com
Social Media: Facebook • Instagram • TikTok
Where Elevated Aspect Products Can Be Found:
The Bubbly Tart- 3020 Leavenworth St., Suite 1, Omaha
Carter & Rye- 3544 Center St., Omaha
Papillion Hy-Vee -11650 S. 73rd St., Papillion
Café Postale- 950 S 10th St., Omaha
Kros Strain Brewing- 10411 Portal Road, #102, La Vista
Wohlner’s- 3253 Dodge St., Omaha
