Inspiring Conversations with Heather Perry of Klatch Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Perry.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I never actually decided to work in coffee, but looking back, nothing else would have made sense. I graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in international business and marketing, and today, I’m the CEO of Klatch Coffee. What started as my parents’ “temporary” cafe in Rancho Cucamonga is now an internationally recognized coffee brand with nearly 200 team members, 12 retail locations, a state-of-the-art roastery, and a growing presence in wholesale, e-commerce, and training. And as someone who’s been around the coffee bar since childhood, it’s been amazing to help grow this company from the ground up alongside my family!

Before stepping into leadership, I had the honor of competing in various nationwide and international competitions. I became the first woman to win the U.S. Barista Championship, and the first person to win the title twice. That experience taught me the discipline of perfecting every detail of the coffee experience, and really gave me deep insight into what customers really value. I carried those lessons into every role since, including serving as president of the Specialty Coffee Association, where I helped unite the U.S. and European organizations to better serve the global coffee community. I’ve also competed on the world stage, bringing our WBC coffee to earn the “Best Espresso” title at the World Barista Championship in Tokyo in 2007.

Now that I’ve officially taken the helm at Klatch, our goal is simple: to meet everyone wherever they are in their coffee journey! We source our beans from long-standing farm partners that produce Cup of Excellence quality coffee and above, often 90 points or more, and we operate with a Direct Trade model that is designed to meet the needs of the families in today’s market. We buy straight from the growers so we can ensure our partners are being paid well above Fair Trade minimums, and that we’re helping them create meaningful careers and communities. From sourcing with long-standing farm partners to roasting with our signature peak of flavor method, to offering classes and consulting through our Training Lab, we always want to make sure we do coffee right.

My business background, combined with a lifetime immersed in specialty coffee, has shaped how I lead – with intention, care, and a drive for excellence.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anyone can truly say they’ve had a perfectly smooth road, but that’s just part of the journey. Like any business, we’ve faced our share of challenges. In recent years, two of the biggest hurdles have been the volatility of the C-market, and increases in tariffs on imported green coffee. (The “C-market” is the index that tracks trade prices for coffee around the world – prices reached a new record high earlier this year.) Both of these directly impact our cost of goods, and can be incredibly difficult to plan for, especially when you’re committed to maintaining both quality and sustainability.

On top of that, scaling a family business while preserving its soul isn’t easy. Growing from a single cafe to a multi-location brand with wholesale, e-commerce, and a training lab takes constant adjustment, from systems and staffing, to operations and culture. We’ve had to learn how to grow smart, not just fast, and that’s a lesson we’re still learning. But, through it all, I do think we’ve managed to stay true to our values in putting quality, transparency, and people first. The road hasn’t always been smooth, but it’s been worth it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Klatch Coffee?
At Klatch Coffee, we do things a little differently, and we’re proud of that. We’re a family-founded, woman-owned coffee company, and we specialize in every part of the coffee process: sourcing, roasting, brewing, educating, and consulting. From bean to cup, our hands are on everything we produce. What I believe sets us apart is our commitment to quality and relationships. We’ve spent decades building direct connections with coffee producers around the world, and we roast every batch using our signature “peak of flavor” method, developed by my dad, Mike Perry, whose background in chemical engineering has helped shape our approach to coffee. Sure, we love winning awards and making waves, but ultimately, we’re not chasing trends, we’re chasing the best expression of each bean.

We’re known for our award-winning coffee, our focus on education and training, and our passion for empowering both coffee professionals and everyday drinkers. Whether you’re visiting one of our cafes, brewing a bag at home, learning at our training lab, or serving Klatch at your own business, our goal is the same: to deliver exceptional coffee. Brand-wise, I’m most proud of how far we’ve come without losing who we are. We’ve grown from one small cafe to an internationally recognized brand with retail, wholesale, e-commerce, and now even ready-to-drink bottled espresso. We recently celebrated our 30th anniversary with the launch of our Empire blend, which pays homage to these Inland Empire roots! At the end of the day, coffee is personal, and at Klatch, we’re honored to be part of that story in people’s daily lives.

As mentioned, we have twelve different brick-and-mortar locations across Southern California. But, we also sell to other wholesale customers – independent cafes and restaurants, and we also sell fresh-roasted coffee directly to consumers on our website. For those that may be interested in purchasing a bag of coffee or finding out more about our wholesale program, you can visit our website at www.klatchcoffee.com!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The coffee industry is always evolving. One of the biggest trends we’re already seeing is the rise of convenience-driven specialty coffee, with popularity growing for things like ready-to-drink formats, smart subscriptions, and on-demand delivery. Consumers still want high-quality coffee, but they want it to fit more seamlessly into their lifestyle. That’s a big reason why we launched our bottled Ready-To-Go Espresso and partnered with Bottomless for smart-scale subscriptions. At the same time, I think we’ll see continued pressure on pricing and sourcing due to climate change, supply chain volatility, and fluctuations in the C-market. That means companies will need to be even more intentional about sustainability, transparency, and building real, long-term relationships with producers. I also think education will become even more important. Consumers today are more curious and conscious than ever before, and they don’t just want good coffee. They want to know where it came from, how it was grown, and why it tastes the way it does. That’s something we’re excited to lean into more at Klatch through our training lab, content, and customer engagement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.klatchcoffee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/klatchcoffee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/klatchcoffee
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/klatch-coffee-inc-/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KlatchCoffee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KlatchCoffeeRoasting
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@klatchcoffee

Image Credits
Klatch Coffee