Picture this: it's 2003, everyone is wearing low rise denim jeans with cropped tops, and One Last Dance is still playing in movie theaters where the tickets cost $6.00 each. While everyone was out enjoying the early 2000s by clubbing, going to the mall to shop, or going to concert halls to line up and buy tickets in-person, twenty year old Heather Perry was busy preparing for the annual U.S. Barista Championships that would take place in Boston, Massachusetts. Thankfully, her hard work paid off, and that year would mark the first time Heather took home the number one spot in competition.
Introduced to the world of specialty coffee at eleven years old, when her parents established the Klatch Coffee brand, Heather was a natural when it came to two things: coffee, and competing. The now-CEO of Klatch Coffee got her start working in the family’s retail stores, building up her skill set that would later be used to compete in various regional, nationwide, and worldwide competitions. Those years of practice are what brought her her very first championship drink: the Naked Verbena, a cold espresso layered with a clear lemon verbena syrup. Inspired by a visit to a local farmer’s market where Heather and her mom, Cindy, came across a lemon verbena plant that Heather thought smelled amazing, this drink is the perfect summarization of Heather herself: unexpected and unique, but well-rounded and balanced.
Always thinking outside the box, coming up with unheard of and creative ideas for drinks, promotions, and branding designs, and yet still well-versed in the administrative and accounting side of the business, Heather can literally do it all. She’s a boss that’s not afraid to get down and dirty and put in more work than everyone who works for and with her. Packing orders in the warehouse during the holidays when there are hundreds of orders, training baristas and cafe managers, providing business consultations and building menus, working in the office while her three kids run around the lobby, running upstairs to cup and score new coffees with her dad Mike, and working in the lab with her sister Holly to create new seasonal drinks and recipes are just a few of the things she does throughout her week. And even through her never-ending schedules, she still manages to always keep a smile on her face and her ears open, ensuring everyone has what they need to finish their tasks.
She’s driven, goal-oriented, intelligent, creative, passionate, and competitive, and she’s the backbone of Klatch Coffee.