Jonathan Treble, founder and CEO of WithMe, Inc., had trouble printing concert tickets years ago, a frustration that led him to start a new company that evolved into tech-enabled services for apartment buildings — and maybe even a competitive edge for apartments taking advantage of the services. Who knew coffee and printing services could become a significant play? And more services are apparently on deck.

In 2021, Jonathan Treble, founder and CEO of PrintWithMe, which provides printing kiosks in multifamily communities and other popular public spaces, got some advice from a client. The client suggested expanding beyond printers to serving up coffee, saying a need existed for a service provider that catered to the industry and spoke the same language.

“As a coffee drinker, I was intrigued by the idea and could see how I could make it better. Over a few months, I realized it would be worth launching a sister company to PrintWithMe,” says WithMe’s Treble. “We already had so many multifamily customers. Our sales teams are in markets coast to coast and having conversations about printers, so why not offer coffee.”

SipWithMe launched at the end of 2021 in Chicago. In just two-and-a-half years, it has expanded to nearly 30 markets, with plans to be in all major metros by the end of 2024.

Each month, Multifamily Dive highlights new products of interest to the industry across a spectrum of product types and applications, including building products, smart tech features and property management and operations software and services. 

Smart coffee service

The SipWithMe coffee machine service by WithMe provides coffee on demand for residents, either free within limits or paid via online checkout, depending on the agreement with the multifamily provider. The machines provide a choice of over 20 beverages, made from locally sourced coffee beans roasted to order, and produce drinks within 60 seconds, according to the company website. 

WithMe has partnered with local coffee providers to implement SipWithMe at apartment properties across multiple markets, most recently in Pittsburgh in partnership with The Coffee Tree Roasters.

Amenities represent an essential draw for multifamily property owners. But what do residents want? What’s waiting in the wings?

To answer these and other questions, panelists shared their thoughts in a recent webinar entitled “Amenities Your Residents Will LOVE.” Hosted by WithMe’s Jonathan Treble (CEO and Founder) and Becky McLaughlin (Vice President of Marketing), the webinar’s participants discussed many topics like trending amenities, operational issues, what’s up and coming and resident feedback.

If you’re printing something on actual paper, there’s a good chance it’s important, like a tax form or a job contract.

But popular printing products and services won’t promise not to read it. In fact, they won’t even promise not to share it with outside marketing firms.

Ideally, printing services should avoid storing the content of your files, or at least delete daily. Print services should also communicate clearly upfront what information they’re collecting and why. Some services, like the New York Public Library and PrintWithMe, do both.