At Trade, we love discovering America’s best specialty coffees and sharing them with all of America. That's only possible by partnering with some truly inspiring local, independent roasters. This week, we’re headed to the Savannah to feature our friends at PERC.
How was PERC founded?
Panther’s Eye Roasting Company was founded in 2010. It quickly became clear we needed a shorter name. Luckily, the acronym PERC worked. In the early days, it was just Philip, a coffee roaster, and a stereo cranked up to eleven. These days, we have six retail locations and are over 100 strong, but our mission remains the same: to share good times and awesome coffee with people at every step of your coffee journey. We think dynamite coffee should be a blast, so let’s have some fun!
Tell us about your team and your Savannah community.
Our people are our soul. We call ourselves the Wrecking Crew. We come together like a dang craft coffee Voltron to bring good times and awesome coffee to the people of Earth. In all seriousness, we’re a bunch of down-to-earth coffee folks serving up the good stuff.
As for our Savannah community, when we started, there wasn’t much specialty coffee here in Savannah. We’ve had the amazing fortune of receiving a ton of support from the community through the years. Since then, the coffee scene has grown a ton, and we’re super stoked for the future.
What is the PERC approach to sourcing and roasting?
All world-class coffee starts at the farm. Producers are the true superstars responsible for fantastic coffee. We honor them by making sure the coffee sings. Understanding seasonality allows us to source coffee at the peak of its potential, but dynamic flavor is not inherent in green coffee—it's latent. Like coaxing a cobra out of a basket, it's our job to unlock each coffee's maximum potential. Our roast profiles highlight the natural sweetness and character of each coffee. Roasting mind-blowing coffee isn't just a process; it's a passion. It requires expertise and a relentless pursuit of perfection. We couldn't be more excited about these coffees, and we're over the moon to be able to share them with you.
You have the coolest and most vibrant brand ever. What's the inspiration behind it?
The first time I tasted a natural Ethiopian coffee, I was blown away. The flavors and
aromas were like nothing I had ever experienced. I knew I wanted to make specialty
coffee a big part of my life. The only issue was having such a strong point of view can be perceived as snobby. So, it was important for the brand to be inviting, approachable, and, most of all, fun. I wanted to help folks have their aha moment with craft coffee.
I sat down with Brad, our Creative Lead, and we discussed making our brand as fun and inviting as possible. We decided to use bright colors, whimsical imagery, disarming language, and, most of all, to turn the fun up to eleven. We developed our three-vibe system to help folks quickly connect to a coffee that speaks to them. We also added loads of content on the website to help folks understand the factors contributing to the flavor of the coffees they love and how to ensure they get the most out of them with their brewing and storage practices.
Anything else you’re looking forward to in the upcoming year?
We are super stoked to bring in our first coffee from China. We have been blown away by the flavor profiles of the farmers in the Yunnan region. Keep your eyes peeled on Trade for this fruity and vibrant natural from the Lao Xu Zai village later this year!
