Two UT Alumni Bring Local Flavors to Campus
Two University of Tennessee, Knoxville alumni, Pierce LaMacchia (HCB, ’12) and Joe Seiber (’07), have partnered with the university and Vol Dining to introduce their local coffee and doughnut businesses to campus.
Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation - Alumni
Two University of Tennessee, Knoxville alumni, Pierce LaMacchia (HCB, ’12) and Joe Seiber (’07), have partnered with the university and Vol Dining to introduce their local coffee and doughnut businesses to campus.
Meeting a Need, Helping Others
LaMacchia founded K Brew in 2013 to bring Knoxville craft coffee and New-York style bagels. Since opening, K Brew has expanded into three additional locations across the city and two on UT’s campus.
“I wanted to start K Brew very specifically because of the need in Knoxville for better coffee — craft coffee, in particular,” shared LaMacchia. “That was really the problem we were trying to solve, but I also just had a heart for hospitality, so the idea of human connection and people being together drinking coffee or interacting with the baristas was near and dear to my heart.”
In addition to opening K Brew’s UT locations, LaMacchia also has become very involved with the Haslam College of Business Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, serving as a judge for several student pitch competitions and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs as a featured speaker.
Gourmet Goods Made Locally
Recognizing a need for gourmet, handmade doughnuts, Joe Seiber partnered with fellow UT alumnus Jimmy Wooten (’03) to start Status Dough in 2017. From their icing and jellies to glazes and dough, each Status Dough pastry is made from scratch.
“I noticed a couple other places had started selling more premium products, especially in the bakery industry, and they were doing quite well [in Chicago],” Seiber says. “So, I felt that if someone was going to offer that type of a product in Knoxville, it was going to be me.”
With three locations across Knoxville, Seiber says that it’s a dream come true to have another location on UT’s campus.
Both entrepreneurs are excited to contribute to the student dining experience, blending their passion for UT with their commitment to quality, local flavors.
To read more, visit: https://dining.utk.edu/two-alumni-entrepreneurs-bring-local-flavors-to-campus/
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Contact:
Brennan Hullett, brennan@utk.edu
