Today we’d like to introduce you to David Dresner. Them and their team share their story with us below:
David Dresner, born in Glencoe, Illinois, was drawn to St. Louis for college where he attended Washington University in St. Louis. David graduated in 2010 from the Olin Business School with a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and a major in Finance and Healthcare Management. While in college, Dresner received the Balanced Man Scholarship.
At an early age, David was an entrepreneur. And, inspired by a fortune cookie, David came up with the idea to place messaging on coffee sleeves. During his academic experiences, David learned what it would take to make a disposable sleeve that was able to relay an updated message after studying the infamous newsvendor dilemma. Sleeve a Message, David’s first company, was born out of a South City basement where he built a custom coffee sleeve printer, “RumpleSleeveSkin.” What started as a one man operation in a St. Louis, South City basement, has grown into a 35,000 square foot facility with over 3,500 active clients around the world, including Tim Hortons, Sysco, Aramark, Compass Group, Au Bon Pon, Target, Lululemon, among many others. Today, the company has 25 employees, and actively ships products to all 50 states and 12 countries.
The connection between making things and potstickers. While running Sleeve a Message, David’s passion for potstickers grew stronger and, in 2018, he opened St. Louis’ first premiere Potsticker restaurant, Crispy Edge™. David dedicated years of research and development to bring the public the greatest variety of potstickers from around the globe to St. Louis. Located in Tower Grove South, Crispy Edge™ is a retail and wholesale FDA and USDA manufacturing facility featuring a curated potsticker menu which offers exciting flavors from around the world alongside familiar favorites. Crispy Edge™ believes that potstickers are the perfect vehicle to explore authentic global flavors from breakfast to dessert: handheld, wrapped in dough, and CRISPY! From Ordinary to Extraordinary – Crispy Edge™ is a global community for those who want something fun, tasty, social and exciting to eat. In 2018, Crispy Edge™ received an A-List Award named and named best new restaurant. With placement in over 150 locations throughout the country.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
With a lot of tenacity and hard work from a dedicated team Crispy Edge was born. The biggest challenge with Crispy Edge was growing a restaurant and USDA manufacturing facility at the same time; while running another manufacturing business. I learned I was starting two businesses in addition to Sleeve a Message. I was always on and finding time for myself became, while almost cliche, my big challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I consider myself a serial entrepreneur and inventor. I have a published patent and love to make organizations and products. Even though my background is in finance, I have a passion for machines. I am most proud of the automation and my team and I have built. What sets me apart from others is my tenacity knows no bounds.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My imagination and enthusiasm seem to be my most impactful qualities in developing my team. Without my team, an idea is just an idea. I tend to think bigger to get big. I believe in a sense of urgency and always assume positive intent.
Contact Info:
- Email: david@crispyedge.com
- Website: www.crispyedge.com www.sleeveamessage.com
- Instagram: crispyedge
- Facebook: crispyedgellc
- Yelp: yelp.com/biz/crispy-edge-st-louis
