Hot Chocolate, Big City Energy: A Madewell Winter Moment with Nightowl Coffee
The challenge: Three Madewell stores. Three cities. Fifty gallons of hot chocolate per city. 5,700 miles of travel. Zero margin for error. As usual—we said yes. After all, this recent article described us as the team built for impossible requests—so an opportunity like this seemed right up our ally.
Let's rewind. SV Productions called us three months prior to Christmas with a simple question and an ambitious timeline: could Nightowl deliver a seamless, fully branded hot chocolate cart experience for Madewell in Dallas, Washington D.C., and New York City—all at the exact same moment? Not staggered. Not similar. Identical in look, service times, and guest experience. Three cities, one brand experience, unfolding simultaneously on sidewalks thousands of miles apart on the three biggest retail stages in the country. Now that sounds exactly like the kind of challenge worth taking.
But before I tell you more about the curb-side Christmas activation that turned strollers into shoppers, let's focus on the real story here: Pablo and Cameron! Yes, this is the same dynamic duo we featured in our blog revealing our secret weapon for success—and yes, they're both dashingly handsome. But hey, eyes up. They're not just pieces of meat, they're married men and the real heroes of this story. Pablo drove over 3,000 miles to bring the NYC activation to life, while Cameron's roundtrip to D.C. included a 2,700 mile journey. Without these guys' ambition and hardwork, this project wouldn't have been possible.
New York City, Held Together Cup by Cup
On Fifth Avenue, the day belonged to Pablo and Derek. Side by side, these hunks brought the Madewell cocoa cart to life. Cup after cup, Pablo and Derek served Manhattan with the kind of calm confidence that only comes from a true passion for hospitality. By day’s end, our New York team had poured 1,000 hot chocolates, each one handed across the counter with intention and strategic verbiage to guide each guest into the storefront to shop.
Behind the scenes, we made sure hot chocolate never stopped flowing, partnering with Maman NYC for access to 50 gallons of hot, filtered water. It was a true New York partnership—local, thoughtful, and essential—ensuring the experience stayed seamless from the first pour to the last. This was New York at its best: collaborative, precise, and beautifully alive. This is what great coffee catering and espresso catering looks like in real life.
From Georgetown to Dallas, Right on Rhythm
While New York carried the spotlight, the operation moved just as smoothly in Washington D.C. and back home in Dallas.
In Georgetown, Cameron and Ekrem anchored the Madewell cocoa cart as the store stayed slammed all day, delivering a nonstop guest experience that felt elevated and welcoming. Partnering with Flor Coffee + Books, the team served 50 gallons of hot chocolate without missing a beat.
At NorthPark Center, Skylar and Dianna brought style and warmth to the experience as Madewell models and cocoa enthusiasts. Behind the scenes, Solomon and Ellis kept things moving—delivering fresh hot chocolate to NorthPark every hour from our headquarters in Farmers Branch.
Different cities. Same rhythm. Excellence, delivered without fanfare. ☕
One Team. Three Cities. 5800 Miles.
From Manhattan to Georgetown to NorthPark Center, this wasn’t just simultaneous execution—it was alignment. While Pablo and Derek served hot chocolate in New York City, Cameron and Ekrem created the same Madewell guest experience in Washington D.C., and Skylar and Dianna welcomed shoppers in Dallas. At the exact same moment, identical cocoa carts were live across the country—each serving 50 gallons of hot chocolate, each reflecting the same brand intention.
Behind the scenes, hot chocolate brewed continuously in New York, arrived hourly at NorthPark from our headquarters in Farmers Branch, and was flowing endlessly in Georgetown. Every mile traveled, every gallon mixed, and every cup poured served one purpose: delivering a branded experience that felt effortless to guests and meaningful to Madewell.
This is what it looks like when DFW coffee catering scales nationally—when Dallas-based coffee carts and mobile barista stations rise to the moment without losing focus on what matters—the guest experience.
Why This One Hit Different
Over the years of building Nightowl Coffee, I've always pushed our team to take the next step forward—to embrace the unknown and be fearless in the face of challenge. This project did exactly that. It elevated us. And our team delivered flawlessly.
There’s a voice that always seems to whisper in moments like this—Frank Sinatra, reminding us not to take the easy way out. If you can make it here [New York], you’ll make it anywhere. So, in the spirit of Frank, we went big. We took on the challenge of leading Madewell’s Christmas activation in New York City, Washington D.C., and Dallas—and we showed up with confidence, precision, and authority. We were reminded that our team, with God by our side, is capable of the highest level of execution in the grandest cities on earth.
This is why we do what we do. Not just to serve drinks, but to build experiences worth remembering. To help brands connect with shoppers. To turn sidewalks into stories. If you’re dreaming up a retail activation, brand moment, or experiential campaign that needs to feel effortless across cities—we’d love to be part of it.
👉 Start your inquiry here: https://www.nightowlcoffeecart.com/book
Because the best victories deserve to be celebrated—with a warm cup, a great team, and a little Nightowl Coffee. ☕✨
