From Jeff Bezos founding Amazon in his garage to Mark Zuckerberg starting Facebook in his dorm room, sometimes the best ideas for companies start in unexpected places. Bryan and Matt Quigley, cofounders of Stateside Vodka, began their business in the basement of their parents’ home in Fort Washington.
In 2013, without a larger space available — and since their parents didn’t often go downstairs — the brothers set up a small functioning basement distillery in hopes of creating the perfect vodka. With the help of Google, Bryan and Matt refined their product for several months before their parents discovered the hidden hooch.
“That day is probably the meanest I’ve ever seen [my father],” Bryan recalled with a laugh. “He said, ‘You guys are so f-ing stupid. Focus on your careers.’ That’s the ‘no’ that always resonates with me … It’s funny because, of course, he’s proud of what we’re doing now.”
Bryan and Matt’s father has reason to be proud. In the past decade since opening a distillery, Stateside Vodka has become a thriving business, expanding from the two brothers to over 250 employees. Their products are sold in 49 states, with Utah soon to be the 50th, and Stateside has already signed deals to sell internationally. They launched multiple ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, including Stateside Vodka sodas and Surfside, a highly-popular drink made with vodka, tea and juice.
The brothers sat down with Wissahickon magazine to discuss their backgrounds, their company’s whirlwind growth, and how they’ve remained best friends throughout the journey.
Early entrepreneurial efforts
Bryan and Matt Quigley always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Bryan, who attended Chestnut Hill Academy (CHA) from kindergarten through 12th grade, and Matt, who attended CHA and moved on to the Upper Dublin School District, tried several early ventures to make spare cash.
“We were always doing stuff together and making money, whether it was selling baseball cards, selling candy, shoveling snow, or raking leaves,” Bryan said. “We grew up thick as thieves.”
The brothers always knew they wanted to pursue a career together. It just took some time to figure out what it would be.
Bryan attended Hofstra University in New York as a finance and Spanish major. Within days of graduating, he was on a plane to Spain. While in Europe, he taught an MBA course before heading back home and working for a financial planning firm in Newtown Square.
Meanwhile, Matt attended Penn State University as an economics major. After finishing his degree, he started a Philly cheesesteak shop — in Norman, Oklahoma. This initial foray into the restaurant industry taught Matt how grueling the work could be, as well as how difficult it was to make a profit. After starting another sandwich shop in California, he headed back home with a new goal in mind.
“I was looking for a business that was much more scalable, where we could make everything in one location and ship it out,” Matt said.
After some research, Matt discovered that Pennsylvania craft breweries proliferated throughout the state. However, the number of distilleries had not yet caught up. With both brothers together again in Fort Washington, they found their calling.
Homing in on vodka
Despite their parents’ discovery of the makeshift basement distillery, Bryan and Matt were fully committed to their business plan. Matt had learned enough from their experiments to be selected for a summer internship at Michigan State University’s distillery. That experience served as an accelerated — albeit unpaid — introduction to distilling on massive equipment.
With their product perfected, next came the teaser plan: a 2-3 page document detailing their strategy for the company. Investors were interested, but none seemed to be the right fit.
“We took what felt like 500 meetings, but it was probably 70 or so,” Bryan said. “To capitalize the company correctly, we needed a multiple of probably 70 to 75 times what they were all offering.”
It wasn’t until they were invited to a potential investor’s Christmas party that Bryan and Matt found their match. They dropped off copies of the plan at the home of businessman Clement Pappas, which kickstarted their longstanding relationship. Pappas and his brother Zachary helped finance the company, allowing Stateside Vodka’s Kensington distillery to open in 2015.
Daily responsibilities
Ten years later, Bryan and Matt have worn just about every hat possible in the business. Bryan currently oversees the company’s core market: the northeast territories from Rhode Island to Virginia. His work involves constant meetings with managers, lots of travel, and of course, countless emails.
Matt’s role is primarily running the marketing department. As the company’s first graphic designer, he created many of the designs the public has come to recognize. While there’s now a marketing department on staff, Matt also focuses on corporate partnerships. From their first deal with the Phillies to launching with 11 MLB teams, the corporate side of the business has flourished.
While the daily grind may be tiring, Matt said the sense of pride in their success is rewarding.
“It’s a cool feeling to look around and see the thousands and thousands, if not millions, of little decisions that we’ve had to make over the last 13 years have paid off because that person’s having a great time and they’re really enjoying the product with their friends,” Matt said.
Brotherly love
According to the brothers, although they’re in constant communication, their travels, meetings, and other scheduled events often don’t overlap. Occasionally, however, they enjoy chance run-ins at the office.
“Fortunately, we don’t work alongside each other that much,” Bryan said. “And I say that with a grin because we love each other to death, but we have vastly different brains … He’s more of the creative side of the business and I’m more of the numbers and sales. That dichotomy works very well for this business.”
Even though Bryan and Matt don’t see each other every day, they know their bonds (and their accomplishments) unite them.
“For me, the reward of winning in business is amplified when you can do it with a family member,” Matt said. “If something goes horribly wrong with work or the company, at least we have each other to support and hold each other up.”
