Introducing "For The Coffee" x Knowledge Perk
“For The Coffee” will be available at all Knowledge Perk locations, all of which can be found at www.knowledgeperk.com.
Inside the stadium, the coffee will be displayed in the Vault and the Gallery, and will be available for purchase at stand 349. It is a medium roast coffee with tasting notes of maple, milk chocolate, and dried cherries.
Get to know the team at Knowledge Perk and how the creation of "For The Coffee" came to life. Learn from Ryan Sanderson, CEO and Co-Founder, and Jordan Herring, Director of Operations and Supply Chain and Co-Founder:
What’s specifically unique about Knowledge Perk, both the coffee and the brand?
Knowledge Perk’s mission statement is Coffee Innovation, Flourishing Community, Better World. By focusing on innovations in the coffee industry, like our focus on sports partnerships, our push for coffee education, and our desire to integrate technology (which we are quickly moving towards as we finally move on from covid survival mode), we begin to carve our own niche in our communities. Our focus on comunity allows us to support schools and missions in our direct trade countries, like the schools we support in Honduras and the farmers we support in Colombia. We also support local nonprofits and schools in our own local communities. No matter how small, these acts of service help our local and international communities to flourish, which helps us take steps towards creating a better world. That mission drives everything we do, and we believe it has even led us towards this path of our partnership with Charlotte FC.
Why call the Carolinas home?
Because SWEET CAROLINE… okay, so that is a joke (ish), but we truly couldn’t think of a better place to build a brand. The history in the Carolinas, the community and family that is here… If you are from North or South Carolina then you just know. The Carolinas have the perfect mix of everything.
Why partner with Charlotte FC?
Partnering with Charlotte FC has been a priority for Knowledge Perk since the day it was announced that MLS was coming to the Carolinas! Knowledge Perk has established a reputation as being the go-to specialty coffee provider for sports. Licenses include Appalachian State University and Winthrop University, on the levels of both the teams and the individual players. We operate several athletic facility operations including Bank of America Stadium, Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track, and Rock Hill Sports and Events Center. We are also entering our third year with the Wells Fargo Championship for the 2023 PGA Season. With all of these connections to sports, Charlotte FC seemed the logical choice for the ultimate Carolinas partnership. Charlotte FC represents the best of so many things we have grown to love as Carolinians: Family, Community, Cultural Diversity, Passion….
What are you most looking forward to about this season?
Getting to know the fans! Knowledge Perk has a history of getting involved in the community, getting to know the people around us that make up our customers, our team, our families. With this new partnership, we get to step into a new community, and we are excited to meet, interact with, and get to know everyone in this community that we can. For the Community. For the Fans. Por la Familia.
How did this specific coffee get created? What was the process in deciding the flavor profile?
This was a really neat collaboration between Charlotte FC, Tepper Sports Entertainment, and Knowledge Perk. We hosted a tasting and roasting event at our Flagship location in Rock Hill, SC with members from all three organizations working through our process for creating a new roast profile. We wanted to focus on a blend that matched the blended culture of everyone that
makes up the Futbol community, while utilizing direct trade partnerships that we have a great relationship with. The combined efforts of all of us together resulted in a delicious coffee with beans from our partners at Finca Mira Flores (Honduras) and Finca La Esperanza (Guatemala).
What is your go-to coffee order (both Ryan and Jordan)?
-Ryan: It depends on my mood for the day, but I love an Ethiopia V60 Pour Over, or our Brown Sugar Cinnamon Shaker on warmer days.
-Jordan: I keep it simple, I’m going to have whatever our current Limited Release is on drip.
What upcoming project for Knowledge Perk are you most looking forward to?
We are excited to announce multiple new locations across the Carolinas, looking to have more than a dozen stores by next year. However, the project we are most excited about is getting our canned cold brew product line up and running!
