Perch opened in the lobby of the School of Business in 2016 with a borrowed espresso machine and a menu of four drinks. Ten years later, it serves about 600 customers a day, roasts its own beans in partnership with a local roaster, and is run entirely by students.
Every position, from barista to general manager, is held by a student. Managers are hired each spring and take a two-credit course in small business operations alongside the job. They handle scheduling, purchasing, payroll and the monthly financial report to a faculty advisory board.
The cafe was founded by four students in an entrepreneurship course who wrote the original business plan as a class project. One of them, now a restaurant owner in the city, still serves on the advisory board.
I'd taken accounting. I didn't understand accounting until I had to explain to the board why we lost money on oat milk.
Where the money goes
Perch has turned a profit in eight of its ten years. Since 2021, all profits have gone to the Dean of Students emergency grant fund, which helps students cover unexpected costs like car repairs or medical bills. The cafe has contributed about $96,000 so far.
More than 400 students have worked as managers or shift leads. Former managers now run restaurants, work in corporate finance and, in at least three cases, own coffee shops of their own.
Perch will celebrate its anniversary on June 3 with free drip coffee all day and a reunion for former staff. Alumni can RSVP through the Perch page.
