Ever since they founded their signature coffee concept, Angie and Ron Diaz have been on a roll.
The husband-and-wife team debuted Perky Beans Coffee, a mobile cafe, in 2013. In September 2014 they opened Perky Beans Coffee on the corner of Cass and Missouri streets in Pacific Beach. Come March the second Perky Beans shop will open in a corporate business setting in Sorrento Valley.
It all started when the couple owned a food truck in Las Vegas and customers would ask for a cup of coffee. “It’s amazing what the power of the need of a cup of coffee can do,” Angie said.
Angie researched and brainstormed ideas to come up with a business name. “Everything is ‘java this’ and ‘java that,’ or ‘Cup of Joe’,” Angie said. The word percolate kept showing up on her Google searches. It brought back the memory of an old-fashioned coffee maker her grandmother had, a percolator, which Angie shortened to Perky and added the word Beans.
“We wanted to have fun with it and create a vibe that’s not stuffy,” Angie said. “We thought, yeah, that sounds right ? Perky Beans!” A moniker they extended to customers who are Perky People. The couple bought an old Little Debbie delivery truck. A shell on four wheels, the truck was once used to deliver Little Debbie baked goods. Ron went to work and installed electrical, plumbing and water filtration. The only thing he put in someone else’s hands was the painting of the truck and logo, which he designed. In honor of the truck’s heritage, they fondly christened her “Little Debbie.”
The Perky Beans brand was an instant hit for special events and Chargers games, so Ron and Angie decided to expand and open a brick and mortar shop. After a citywide search for the perfect location, Perky Beans opened in a long vacant storefront on Cass Street in Pacific Beach. The casual, colorful shop with indoor and outdoor seating and purple umbrellas that dot the street like tulips, has been nominated by Discover Pacific Beach for a 2014 Design and Improvement Award, given to a business for improving the community with unique architecture, attractive storefront and curb appeal.
“The neighbors tell us they appreciate having another option for coffee, smoothies and good food like acai bowls,” Angie said. Perky Beans uses beans from Caffé Calabria, a renowned San Diego roaster, where baristas undergo training. “Our baristas don’t just push a button. Everything is handcrafted, making it a personal experience,” Angie said. “We make it so we want to drink it ourselves.”