Chicago Stories - Building Community in Portage Park: A Conversation with Perkolator Coffee

Mike Talk

Melissa and Joe are the passionate owners of Perkolator Coffee, a beloved coffee shop in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood. Joe, a coffee aficionado since childhood, and Melissa, a former editor and local historian, combined their talents to create a community hub. Their journey from opening a vintage store to establishing Perkolator Coffee demonstrates their dedication to fostering community and their love for high-quality, hand-picked coffee.

In this episode, I'm taken to Coffee School by Melissa and Joe of Perkolator Coffee, as they discuss their incredible journey in the coffee business. They share their story of opening Perkolator Coffee, their experiences in the coffee industry, and the unique process of coffee cupping. Our conversation highlights their commitment to the community and their innovative approach to bringing people together through coffee.

Listeners interested in coffee culture, community building, and the intricacies of coffee tasting will find this episode highly informative. Melissa and Joe explain the art of coffee cupping, the importance of supporting local businesses, and how they transitioned from a vintage store to a thriving coffee shop. Keywords include "coffee cupping," "Portage Park," "Chicago coffee shop," "community building," and "local business."

References:

• Perkolator Coffee
• Portage Park
• Perkolator Coffee on Instagram

Potential Listener Questions:

1. How did Melissa and Joe transition from a vintage store to a successful coffee shop?
2. What is the process of coffee cupping and why is it important for quality assurance?
3. How does Perkolator Coffee contribute to the Portage Park community?

Connect with Mike: https://linktr.ee/mtrlinks
"Born and raised in Chicago, I learned at a young age that community starts with us, the neighbors, made up of 77 communities, commitment, hard work and dedication. We're much more than just a second city. We are visionaries, we are creators, we are fans, we are friends, we are stories, stories that matter, like yours."
-Mike