Addison Mathis - Perc Coffee

In this episode, Luke interviews Addison Mathis, the QA manager for Perc Coffee. Mathis recounts their unexpected journey into the coffee industry after initially aspiring to be the president. They share how their path included dreams of being a marine biologist, artist, and therapist before finding a place in the coffee world.

During the conversation, Addison shares their passion for training, which stemmed from early career experiences where knowledge and training felt gatekept. As a QA manager for Perc, Mathis focuses on creating empathetic training environments by recalling their own experiences as a new barista and being conscious of the diverse backgrounds of those they train. Mathis also emphasizes the importance of hospitality and caring for people as a priority over simply sharing coffee.

Additionally, Addison reflects on the role of competition in the coffee industry as a space for innovation, storytelling, and personal development, while also keeping a keen eye on what could be improved in the competition space.

Be sure to stick around for the closing, where Luke reads one of the final lines from Addison’s barista competition routines—reminding us that hope is something we find together.