When they began Perky Beans Coffee, Angie was familiar with the beverage, but it was a learning process for Ron, who was not a coffee drinker. Angie said they would go to the library to learn the differences between drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos.
Now, the couple is looking to begin roasting their own coffee in 2021.
“For someone who was never into coffee, he’s totally into it now,” Angie said.
The switch from selling food to coffee was a learning hurdle, but shortly after the coffee shop opened in November 2019 the business faced a new challenge: COVID-19. When the pandemic hit and the shop’s dining room closed, the business was fortunate to have a drive-thru to rely on for safe, socially distanced service.
“It was hard for everybody, but much harder if you didn’t have that option because that’s clearly what people are comfortable with,” Angie said.
Food was not previously sold in the drive-thru because the housemade food had long prep times. This led to a quick pivot in preparation and timing so that food options could be sold through a drive-thru window, Angie said. Restaurant owners have adapted and changed on a dime during the last year, Diaz said.
The coffee shop is adding more sandwich and food options to its menu to meet its customers’ demand. Angie said the limited food and drive-thru options in the northern Leander area led to this uptick, and Perky Beans Coffee is looking to expand its menu to help its customers.
“It’s been kind of fun to see people respond to that and [for us] to be able to fill that niche, a little unexpectedly,” Angie said.
All sandwiches and food items, except for pastries, are made in-house at Perky Beans, Angie said. Acai bowls, avocado toast and breakfast sandwiches are not prepackaged and mostly made to order.
A second location is in the near future for the Leander coffee shop, though no location or announcements are ready yet. Angie said they are grateful for their customers, who often are not from the immediate area or even Texas, and have continued supporting locally owned businesses in the pandemic rather than larger coffee companies.
“It’s really nice to be welcomed by the community and supported that way,” Angie said. “We love our customers, and that’s why we get up and do what we do every day.”
Perky Beans Coffee
2080 US 183, Ste. 210, Leander
512-548-5050
Mon.-Fri. 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 6 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
www.perkybeanscoffee.com
