Quickie Delivery will not return to Cal Poly’s campus this fall, according to their Instagram post on Aug. 20.
Cal Poly alumni Will Tregenza and Matt Menno started the company in 2021, specifically for the needs of college students.
The service aimed to provide a fast, affordable and eco-friendly way for Cal Poly students to get essential items delivered directly to their doorsteps through drivers, or “flashers” on e-bikes and e-scooters.
After running the business for almost three years, Tregenza, a 2024 business administration graduate, said the business model did not make as much money as they had hoped. Quickie was making nine percent profit margins and its gross profit margins were just below 50%, Tregenza said.
“It would work at scale if you were at twenty college campuses doing the same operation,” Tregenza said. “You would make significant money [on a larger scale], but just doing it out of one [campus], we just weren’t seeing too much money come out the bottom line.”
Tregenza and Menno will not be selling their business. On June 28, Quickie posted on their Instagram looking for a partner to help expand their business.
However, when they contacted nationwide competitors such as Duffl, a delivery company that operates out of UCLA, and REV Delivery from the University of Washington, about a potential acquisition, they expressed less interest because of Cal Poly’s smaller campus and student body.
Tregenza and Menno also looked toward other Cal Poly students to run Quickie before deciding not to sell.
“In all honesty, we just decided it was better to wipe our hands clean and move on from it,” Tregenza said. “It really is a tough business to run. I think it was easier to just move on and look on to do other things.”
Last school year, architecture sophomore Amaya Glover used the service about once a week because it was affordable. She said the fast deliveries satisfy her cravings for a pickle or root beer float during 1 a.m. sessions in the studio.
Learning about the news, she was sad and disappointed, leaving a comment on Quickie’s post saying: “Please don’t don’t do this.”
“A part of me really was hoping that they would change their minds or that it was some April Fool’s joke,” Glover told Mustang News. “I just wanted to voice my sadness.”
Post-graduation, Tregenza hopes to explore different career opportunities. Tregenza currently works in a sales role at EcoSteel.
In the post, Quickie thanked their customers, advisors and mentors, their team, and the Cal Poly community.
“This campus and the community around it create an atmosphere like no other—a place where entrepreneurship and creativity are welcomed with open arms,” the Instagram post said. “‘Learn by Doing’ is more than just a motto here; it’s a way of life that allowed us to gain knowledge and experiences beyond our wildest expectations.”
