How I Built This with Guy Raz

MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson

Jul 24, 2023

Scott and Ally Svenson, co-founders of Seattle Coffee Company and MOD Pizza, share their journey from coffee lovers in London to successful entrepreneurs. They discuss the shocking discovery of instant coffee in the UK that inspired their coffee venture. The couple reflects on the transition to fast-casual dining with MOD Pizza, emphasizing innovation and customer experience. Their commitment to employee welfare and a purpose-driven brand during challenging times showcases their unique approach to business that combines passion with community impact.

01:27:30

Episode guests

Ally Svenson

Scott Svenson

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Entrepreneurial CEO Expands Starbucks

00:57

Alternative to Starbucks: The Hypothesis of a Global Brand

00:58

The Challenges and Rewards of Weathering Chapters and Storms in a Relationship

01:09

Intro

4min

From Consumers to Creators

8min

Brewing Beginnings: From Naivety to Entrepreneurship

18min

Navigating Early Challenges and Expansion

7min

Navigating Competition and Growth in the Coffee Industry

5min

From Coffee to Custom Pizzas

21min

The Birth of Mod Pizza: Innovation and Inspiration

5min

Building a Purpose-Driven Pizza Brand

25min

Navigating Relationships and Building a Family Business

4min

A relentless hunt for their favorite foods and drinks led Scott and Ally Svenson into launching not one but two multi-million dollar businesses. The first came about in 1990s London when they discovered that British coffee meant instant coffee. So, the Washington natives decided to start the Seattle Coffee Company in the U.K, inspired by their love of Starbucks—which was still only in the U.S. But, once Starbucks started to go global, Scott and Ally decided to sell and move back to Seattle. They soon found themselves looking for quick, affordable, crowd-pleasers to feed their growing boys on busy nights; pizza is a good solution, but it can also be slow and expensive. So Scott and Ally wondered if they could figure out how to make individual, fast-casual pizza work; and they started MOD pizza as a one-store experiment. 15 years and more than 500 locations later, Scott and Ally have their answer: they can make it work.

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Casey Herman.

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