Klatch Coffee’s Mike Perry on winning awards, and expanding to LAX in June

Upland, CA based micro coffee roaster company, Klatch Coffee, opened in 1993, is no stranger to winning awards. Having already won some of the highest honors in the coffee industry like “Best Espresso in the World” at the 2007 World Barista Championships in Tokyo, to San Dimas “Businessman of the Year”. Owner, Mike Perry, can now add another one to his long list of accolades. Just a few weeks ago in San Francisco, Klatch Coffee took home a Good Food Award (an award for “recipients who push their industries towards craftsmanship and sustainability while enhancing our agricultural landscape and building strong communities“) for their Ethiopian Gedeo Worka.

Winning

The Gedeo Worka was sourced by Mike during a trip to Ethiopia while meeting some of the best coffee plant growers in the world. Winning the Good Food Awards means honor and pride for Mike and his team, “the award means a lot to me for four reasons. First, the coffee must be sustainable and organic so I know it is good for the farmer and the environment. Second, it is an award based on the quality of the coffee in the cup, meaning taste. Third, the roasters who submitted coffee for consideration are the tops in the industry and we were one who was awarded as both a winner and gold seal. And fourth, the judges who compared all the coffees submitted to select the winners are among the best and most respected in the industry. To be chosen by such peers is a huge honor.”

Expansion

Last year, Mike’s retail sales grew around 25 percent and web sales grew by 30 percent. Come June 2012, Klatch Coffee will open up shop at LAX Terminal 7 (United Airlines). “[We’re] looking forward to sharing our beans with travelers around the world,” Mike says. Currently you can find Klatch coffees in retail stores in San Dimas (yes, close to that high school and the water park), Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and Upland.

Photography provided by Klatch Coffee Inc.