In the University of Missouri Student Center, students can find State Street Spices, a small-batch spice company built around blends inspired by U.S. cities. While not yet a storefront, for first-year student and founder Andrew Rubin, State Street Spices is the center of a venture he’s bringing to Columbia.
“I started my business just over two years ago,” Rubin said. He was only 16 years old.
Rubin’s idea grew from his love of food, travel and entrepreneurship.
“I knew I always wanted to own my own business,” Rubin said. “I thought of this idea of a spice-blend business.”
Early batches were hand-mixed at home. Eventually, he moved into a commercial kitchen. Now, he works with a co-packer.
“We tell them how much we need, they make it, and we pick it up,” Rubin said.
Rubin’s recipe process is intensive. For each city blend, he dedicates approximately 80 hours of research by exploring food history, local flavors, blogs and restaurant trends. Then he crafts versions, conducts taste tests and settles on a final blend that balances authenticity with what people will enjoy.
His product line currently includes:
- Buffalo Buffalo (medium heat)
- New York Steak (mild steak blend)
- St. Louis Barbecue (sweet, representing St. Louis)
- Los Angeles Taco (a spicy, bold blend)
Since Rubin is from Chesterfield, near St. Louis, the St. Louis Barbecue blend holds personal meaning. He says regional pride plays into his choices of blends.
State Street Spices is available in 11 retail locations, including Missouri Barbecue Supply and Bluestem Missouri Crafts in Columbia. Online, the blends are available via the company website and Amazon.
Rubin also cares about giving back to the community. He claims 10% of all profits are donated to local children’s hospitals. So far, he’s donated roughly $500.
Now, as a student majoring in business administration and statistics with an emphasis in management, he’s working to expand his reach.
For Rubin, the move to campus is a strategic step. He applied for office space, not a retail shop.
“College students don’t tend to use spices,” he reasoned, but he wanted a professional space for meeting partners, running operations and growing e-commerce. His business is located in room 1207B of the Student Center.
Still, he’s trying to give Mizzou students access.
“You can pick [orders] up at the Student Center for free,” he says, bypassing shipping costs for on-campus customers.
He also hopes to expand retail distribution in Columbia and begin donating a portion of profits to MU Health Children’s Hospital.
Rubin is realistic about the difficulties his business faces. He’s young, juggling classes, business growth and expansion efforts across states.
He admits the business “overhead costs” are steep, but he leans on his research-driven method and network.
Looking ahead, Rubin hopes to expand retail operations in Columbia, develop more distributor relationships and expand campus integration.
“I definitely want to get very intertwined with Columbia,” he said. “It’s very important to stay connected to our Columbia routes.”
Rubin is unique in his approach and commitment to both culture and community. He doesn’t just want to sell spices; he wants to tell regional food stories with each blend.
