Cutting Costs by 80% While Scaling into 70,000+ Doors | Jimmy DeCicco, Super Coffee

On this episode, we’re joined by Jimmy DeCicco, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Super Coffee, the RTD coffee brand started by Jimmy and his two brothers that went from a dorm-room blend to 70,000+ doors and a $50M+ run rate.A former captain of the Colgate football team, Jimmy unpacks what they got wrong when they tried to go “big-league” too soon, and the profit-first reboot that followed. We dive into how the team executed a 65→15 SKU rationalization and an 80% cost reset, plus Super Coffee’s “neighborhood by neighborhood” approach. We also cover exec team shake-ups, how a seasoned CMO sharpened positioning, and the systems that actually drive velocity.—---------------Episode Highlights:🏈 From Colgate captain to CPG operator🧪 Early R&D: cracking protein + coffee + zero added sugar,🏭 Co-packers🧃 Brand evolution: early cues from Honest Tea🎯 Identity-building🚚 Distributor partnerships: what “true partnership” looks like🗺️ “Neighborhood by neighborhood” approach🏟️ Thinking they were “big-league ready” everywhere at a $25M run rate 📊 The 80/20 reality: doubling down on hero SKUs and hero doors 🛒 Big-box takeaways: Target, Walmart, Albertsons ⛽ C-store strategy ✂️ SKU rationalization 💸 Cutting costs by 80% 🧭 Bringing in a seasoned CEO, 🔭 Trends Jimmy is tracking—---------------Table of Contents:00:40:23 - Intro and origin story02:14:01 - Captain of the Colgate football team to captain of Super Coffee05:39:24 - The early days of R&D and formulation08:19:15 - Copackers and scaling up11:51:13 - The evolution of the brand (initial influence from Honest Tea)13:53:12 - Recommendations for building a brand identity16:03:13 - An invaluable contribution from Super Coffee’s seasoned CMO16:49:24 - Building a true partnership with your distributor19:10:24 - A “neighborhood by neighborhood” approach21:33:23 - Thinking they were ready for the “big leagues”22:52:08 - The 80/20 rule is real23:46:19 - Target, Walmart, Albertsons, etc.25:53:21 - C-stores29:04:10 - SKU rationalization (65 SKUs to 15 SKUs)32:37:21 - Cutting costs by 80%35:17:01 - Bringing in a seasoned CEO, and back again37:52:23 - Trends Jimmy is tracking—---------------Links:Super Coffee – https://www.drinksupercoffee.com Follow Jimmy on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-decicco/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.