Today we’d like to introduce you to Philip Brown.
Philip, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was a touring musician living in Athens, GA and I needed work when I wasn’t on the road with the band. So I got a job at a local coffee shop. After spending a few years working as a barista, they moved me to assistant manager, and then to general manager. I started getting interested in the production side of coffee, as well as the fascinating journey the beans travel from seed to cup. I began an apprenticeship at the roastery, and eventually became a full time roaster with the company. It was pretty early on that I knew I loved roasting, and I started to form a plan of what would eventually become PERC. When my wife finished her PHD from UGA she encouraged me to put my money where my mouth was (so to speak) and start my own company. That’s when I headed down to the SPDC (small business development center) to get help writing a business plan. I spent six months working out all of the details for the foundation of PERC.
I knew from my experience that I could start out small and bootstrap it until I had some momentum — and customers — so we moved to Savannah and rented a small, inexpensive place and got to work. My mission: to cultivate an appreciation for outstanding coffee in the Savannah. Armed with a Diedrich IR-12, a bike, and a really big backpack, I built PERC Coffee one bag at a time. As business grew, I knew the PERC family had to grow too, so I assembled a small and diversely impassioned crew that came together like a coffee Voltron. Batch after batch, we built a culture around sharing the product we loved. We eventually outgrew the shop, moved the operation to a warehouse on the east side, bought a bigger roaster, and built out a swanky training lab.
Now we are setting our sights on the Southeast: our goal is to build fruitful relationships and empower our partners to deliver a noteworthy coffee experience every time. Roasting vibrant coffee is just one part of that. We’re also here to provide the tools, education and training to help create top-notch coffee programs.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a few bumps along the way, mostly just learning to be a good leader and what that means. Though things aren’t always easy, I have been insanely lucky to have the most amazing employees that kick so much butt. I know none of what we have been able to accomplish – and will accomplish – would be possible without them, it is a true team effort. I’ve also had so much support from my family, community, and our wholesale partners. I really think so many people should feel ownership of any success we have and I am constantly thankful.
Please tell us about PERC Coffee Roasters.
PERC Coffee is a specialty coffee roasting company roasting the highest quality coffee we can find. We source seasonally to ensure the coffee is always at the peak of its potential. We taste dozens of samples before deciding on a new offering. Once chosen, we happily pay premium prices to secure these coffees. This model celebrates the hard work and precision of the producers and establishes relationships built on integrity and trust.
Roasting coffee is our heart. Dynamic flavor is not inherent in great green coffee – it’s latent. With that in mind, we create individual roast profiles for each coffee to maximize varietal expression. We believe in highlighting the natural sweetness and balance of these beautiful coffees by roasting on the light to medium side, never venturing into second crack. Once roasted, the coffee is cupped and scored and its roast data evaluated for consistency. We truly believe this attention to detail makes our roasts some of the best in the world.
The bottom line: we don’t buy, roast, or sell coffee we’re not totally crazy about. With that said, our main concern is inviting people into the world we are so excited about. We focus on making exclusive coffees inclusive, bringing people into the fold through making personal connections, and championing the idea that everyone deserves a better cup of coffee.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I guess a memory that sticks out and that has relevance to this article is the first time I tried coffee. My dad always drank his coffee black and he liked it piping hot. I have this visceral memory of the way he would raise the cup to his lips and take small sips so as not to burn the roof of his mouth. He would finish every sip with a breathy -“ahhh” noise he always made. One day I asked him if I could try it, I remember he grinned, knowing how I would react, and said yes. I lifted the mug to my lips only to taste the most disgusting liquid known to man, it was a new definition of what gross could taste like. It’s so weird that I am now completely intoxicated by that same beverage, although the coffee I drink is light years better than whatever he was drinking back then, there is a real connection there.
That’s one of the things I really love about coffee. Your enjoyment is connected to memories. If you think about the best cup you ever had, it’s usually the highlight of a particular experience. Maybe you were on a camping trip with your buds, or maybe you were just sitting on the front porch on a cool fall morning. There’s something that sticks in your brain and every other cup from then on is compared to that one. These are the moments that inspire me.
Contact Info:
- Address: PERC COFFEE
1802 East Broad Street
Savannah, GA 30401 - Website: www.perccoffee.com
- Phone: (912)209-0025
- Email: wholesale@perccoffee.com
- Instagram: @PERCCOFFEE
- Facebook: @PERCCOFFEE
- Twitter: @PERCCOFFEE
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