Perkatory Coffee Roasters in West Hartford recently opened its stand-alone space just a few doors from its previous location in the GastroPark gathering hub. With an 80s-influenced punk rock/skater vibe, this unique coffee shop is a cool addition to the growing New Park food-and-drink scene.
Owned and operated by Joe and Johanna Perazella, the West Hartford location is the fourth in their succession of Perkatory Coffee shops. Specializing in handcrafted artisan-roasted coffee, the cafes feature large Shaka-waving skeletons and skateboard riding reapers paintings by artist Kevin Boudreau on the walls and an energetic, upbeat playlist for ambiance. A unique place to meet friends or hang out and enjoy, Perkatory offers a coffee experience.
“It all just boils down to our passion behind our products and wanting to showcase that,” Johanna explained. “We were born in the mid-80s, grew up listening to punk rock and skateboarding, and thought Perkatory was such a clever name that fits in perfectly with the brand we wanted to create. “We believe that coffee and punk rock just go really well together.
It all ended up blending nicely, but it's really just a fun mix of my and Joe's personalities.”
All of Perkatory’s coffees are hand-selected from specialty-grade coffee beans that have been graded thoroughly. The beans undergo a rigorous quality control process before they get to Perkatory’s roasting operations in Middletown.
They purchase as much as possible from direct trade to ensure that the small farms they buy from get the most profit and that the beans go through as few sets of hands as possible in the journey to the stores’ roasters.
“Joe is the head roaster, and he has a real passion for sourcing the coffees,” Johanna told us.
The stores’ coffees are from single-origin countries with diverse growing seasons, creating a carefully curated assortment of coffee choices throughout the year. Each store has a uniform menu of core drinks, but the baristas are given free rein in crafting specialty-themed beverages each month.
“The coffee is so, so important to us, but the real love and passion behind Perkatory are the connections made with people while they're catching up over coffee. The whole experience of it is just really amazing.”
Along with increasing recognition for their coffee, the Perazellas want to use Perkatory as a platform to raise awareness for causes that are personal to them.
“We do a lot of fundraising, and we give back as much as we can. For example, I'm a diabetic, and every November for World Diabetes Day, we donate all the company proceeds to Type 1 Diabetes International organization,” Johanna said.
They also want to shine a light on another heartfelt cause.
“Our son was adopted through the agency Adoptions from the Heart. Jackson is turning four on June 9, so we are letting him pick out the monthly specialty drinks. All the profits from the four cafes that day will be donated to the Connecticut chapter of Adoptions from the Heart.”
The proceeds will support the nonprofit’s birth mothers’ fund, which helps them buy food, pay for rent and medical care, and anything they might need during their pregnancy.
Johanna and Joe invite the community to drop by for coffee on June 9 and to help raise funds for this essential local cause.
Perkatory Coffee Roasters
625 New Park Ave.
Online: Perkatoryroasters.com
On Facebook: @PerkatoryWestHartford
On Instagram: @Perkatorycoffeeco
“The coffee is so, so important to us, but the real love and passion behind Perkatory are the connections made with people while they're catching up over coffee." Johanna Perazella