Today we’d like to introduce you to Trez Pugh.
Trez is the Founder & CEO of Sip and Savor, Inc., a company that owns and runs high-end coffee houses on the Southside of Chicago. Pugh, in addition to being the Chief Executive Officer, works a full-time job for the U.S. Government. He prides himself on being a mentor volunteering with at-risk kids through the Becoming a Better Man Project (BAM).
A blended background.
With a Bachelor of Science in Information and Decision Sciences, and a minor in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Trez began his career in 1982 working for the Social Security Administration as a Claims Clerk. After spending a year in this position, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After a four-year tour of duty in California, North Carolina, Japan, and Korea, Trez briefly returned to the Social Security Administration and was then hired by the United States Postal Service.
He rose through the ranks of postal management fairly quickly holding positions in transportation, finance, quality control, operations, and strategic planning all while enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a full time student.
Trez’s passion has always been to contribute to the community by creating jobs, mentoring the youth and inspiring others to believe in themselves and to work hard to achieve their dreams. When his schedule permits he gives speeches and mentors young business students who are interested in opening their own businesses.
It began organically.
Trez’s love of community and his success in real estate lead to the birth of his coffee houses. Over a decade ago, a childhood friend convinced him to venture into that industry. His love affair with coffee and teas intensified with his first launch, the Bronzeville Coffee House on 43rd street which later re-opened as Sip and Savor.
Sip & Savor, where coffee and community meet.
Walk into either Sip and Savor and you’re likely to see a familiar face. It’s common for media personalities, entrepreneurs and elected officials to be sipping coffee along with retirees, college students and other hard working Chicagoans in for a break and a good cup of coffee and great community-focused conversations.
Known for its exceptional quality and flavor, Sip & Savor coffees are certified fair trade, and in some cases, certified organic and shade grown. This means that the products you buy maintain biodiversity, provide shelter for migratory birds and help reduce global warming.
Trez is driven to make a difference with his coffee shops. Bringing the community together is at the forefront of his brand and business ventures. He is committed to showing our youth that rising to the challenge of making a change is far more rewarding than simply going into business solely to make money. With this focus, drive and determination, the Sip & Savor brand is a daily testament to the idea that when you put good behind intentions, you will flourish. Soon there will be four Sip and Savors on Chicago’s south side with more to come.
A brimming future.
Trez is now a veteran coffee man at a time when so many positive things are happening on Chicago’s south side. His goal at Sip and Savor is to create a home away from home for the community. To create a space that captures the positive energy and excitement that exists in Chicago neighborhoods and to add to the burgeoning revitalization.
After almost 3 years, Sip and Savor has positioned itself as a key player in the “spread positivity” movement. Not only do they serve coffee and teas, Sip and Savor is “globally local”. It supports other local business by carrying pastries and small bites from local bakers and bakeries. Sip and Savor also carries a plethora of breakfast items on its menu.
Trez and his Sip and Savor brand is striving to become major game changers. With rapid growth and a solid commitment to community, Sip and Savor has become the neighborhood’s coffee shop of choice.”
As seen on…
Pugh has appeared on WVON and WBEZ radio stations as a guest speaker on their business round table segments, he has also been interviewed by Metro-Mix, Sun-Times, Tribune, Indigo, Time Out, DNA Info and Fresh Cup on topics ranging from business start-up costs, employee empowerment, challenges facing entrepreneurs’ and Micro Lending.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When you’re an entrepreneur it’s never a smooth road…Just off the top of my head, what comes to mind is financing, time, and finding the right team to assist you in your vision. This has always been a struggle for me especially since I still work my full-time job.
There are other numerous struggles when you’re in this entrepreneur game and most of them come early and often. Probably one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner is the following: No matter hard you work to provide a quality product and service and no matter how much time you commit to fine tuning your operations for the communities in which you serve, there are going to be people who will undermine your efforts. The example I will use is this, a customer comes in and have a not so pleasant experience for whatever reason, instead of that customer bringing to your attention so that you can address the issue…some of them go directly to Yelp or some other social media platform and trash the business. I have always been one that believes bad news travel exponentially faster that good news. So now you have a ton of people in the social media orbit judging your business based on a customer who either was having a bad day or just wasn’t kind enough to allow the business to explain or fix whatever may have transpired. Another really hard lesson is this: when you think you need X amount of dollars to start your business, think again you’re going to need three times X!!!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sip & Savor Coffee House – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Sip & Savor is a community based Gourmet Coffee house that caters to all people from all walks of life. Our tagline is “Where Coffee and Community Meet.” Our shop offers coffees from the continents of Africa and South America that embodies the ultimate in taste. We offer over 30 different herbal teas ranging from black, red, white, and green.
Our décor is very relaxing, we have faux finish walls, art featured by local artists on the walls, hardwood floors, and a private enclosed patio for entertainment. Our venues are available for private events i.e. baby showers, birthday parties, anniversaries, and meetings.
It’s not unusual to walk into our shop and see the Mayor of the city, pro ball players, real estate professionals, marketing directors, housewives, teachers, or even the neighborhood homeless guy sitting next to each other having an intense and thought provoking conversation. The thing I take most pride in is we treat every one of those people previously mentioned exactly the same….with dignity and respect. Our motto is based on the 5 C’s, Crisp, Clean, Classy, Consistent, Customer Service!
What sets us apart from all the other coffee shops is the experience of Sip and Savor. In our shop everyone knows your name, jobs are created right there in the shop, relationships are developed be it business or personal. When you walk in our coffeehouse it kind of wraps it’s arms around you and give you a big warm hug and whispers in your ear, “Sit back relax and stay a while!”
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future is to continue creating jobs and changing communities throughout the Chicagoland area. I am involved with youth at risk and nothing would please me more than to be able to get more involved in their lives when I retire from my daytime job in less than 2 years God willing.
I don’t plan on changing the way we conduct business, of course I will keep my hand on the pulse of the industry and I will continue to stay on top of technology to stay a step ahead of everything. The one thing about this business, or any business for that matter is if you’re not creative and innovative, you run the risk of becoming extinct!
Contact Info:
- Address: Sip & Savor Locations
528 E. 43rd Street
5301 S. Hyde Park Blvd
78 E. 47th Street (Under Construction) coming soon! - Website: www.sipandsavorchicago.com
- Phone: 7738552125
- Email: info@sipandsavorchicago.com
- Instagram: sipandsavorchicago
- Facebook: @sipandsavorchicago
- Twitter: @SipSavorChi
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
