September 07, 2015
Contributed Art/Beach Caddy
The five Philly-area families who created Beach Caddy have fifteen children altogether, all under the age of eight.
Towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, snacks, toys, sunscreen, books, clothes, drinks – that’s the minimum amount of stuff a typical family drags along to the beach, on what’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway.
Todd Serpico and a family friend were in just such a situation when they came up with an idea that would make going to the beach easier for families. With seven kids and a mountain of stuff between them, Serpico’s friend commented, “I would pay somebody $20 to help me do this right now.”
That’s how Beach Caddy (download it here) was born. Like Uber for the beach, families can use the app to summon a helper who will come to their door and take their stuff to the beach and back.
Serpico, a fifth-grader teacher from King of Prussia, Montgomery County, worked on the app with four other Philly-area families. Altogether, the families have fifteen children who are all under the age of eight.
“You can imagine us getting to the beach. It’s a challenge,” said Serpico.
The families worked with a tech company in India to code the app and then launched the service in Ocean City, New Jersey on Memorial Day.
The cost of the service varies from $12 to $20 per trip plus tips, depending on the size of the family. With several package options available to renters, families can sign up for as little as one day or as long as the entire season.
Over the summer, caddies served over 150 families and made over 300 trips to the beach. Serpico says they couldn’t have done it without the help of a few local businesses where he himself worked during his college summers.
“Down in Ocean City, it’s a close-knit town and people help people,” said Serpico.
For example, the owners of Randazzo Pizzeria and Hoy’s Five and Ten helped spread the word about the app. In addition, guidance counselors from local high schools helped them find caddies to hire.
“We hire 22 kids from the island, ages 14 to 22,” said Serpico.
Now that the summer is over, the families are going back to their day jobs, although the app may still be available for a few more weekends in September.
However, it won’t be the end of Beach Caddy: the company will spend the colder months brainstorming ways to expand their services, for example by opening in other beach towns or helping families move all of their stuff into a rental home for a flat fee.
“We’re all family and we are all neighbors,” said Serpico about his team. The company has a simple mission: “Friends united to change the way people experience the beach.”
