Today we’d like to introduce you to Leticia Pollock.
Hi Leticia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Brazil, near one of the best coffee-producing regions in the world, and I come from a large family of talented home cooks, we love tasting and exploring flavors!
As a teenager, when I started considering what to do for school and work, I decided I wanted to spend my days doing fun, upbeat work. I wanted a career that brought joy to me and to others. I also wanted flexibility, variety, and to preserve a little mental bandwidth to pursue personal and social interests that are important to me.
I went to college in Brazil for Gastronomy – the study of the relationship between food and culture. The history, culture, and service of wine and coffee intrigued me, so I decided to explore it professionally. I started working in both industries, and I loved it! Since then, I’ve learned through formal education, specialized classes, peers, bosses, mentors, and experience – many hours of hard but satisfying work across different countries and states.
Working with coffee and wine has taken me to so many exciting places! Endless adventures and stories that eventually led to opening Panther Coffee in the then-edgy Wynwood neighborhood of Miami in 2010 with my husband and business partner, Joel.
As Panther Coffee started to take off, around the same time we had our wonderful daughter, wine became a hobby, and all my professional focus shifted to specialty coffee and teas.
I love that we got to be pioneers in South Florida’s specialty coffee industry and helped pave the way for, and teach, so many passionate coffee professionals over the past 15 years in Miami.
From the beginning, when Joel and I were just writing our business plan – which let me tell you, took a whole lot longer pre AI – our goal was to create a coffee company focused on two things: the quality of the coffee and the quality of the relationships.
Our long-lasting relationships with coffee producers are special and unique. So are the relationships we’ve built as a team and with the communities we serve. We’ve always wanted these connections to be mutually beneficial and just as high quality as the coffees we carefully source, roast, and prepare.
From our first roastery café in Wynwood in 2010 until now, our team has grown slowly and organically. We’ve added a second roastery and opened more Miami coffee shops, and also expanded to Michigan and New York. We also provide coffee beans, matcha, and teas to many wonderful wholesale partners around the country and beyond, and we’ve had the opportunity to partner with numerous brands as well as to support impactful social projects along the way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a fun and exciting road, but definitely not a smooth one! There have been all kinds of challenges over the years. Some came with opening our first location, others with growth, and some from juggling personal and professional life.
More recently, one big struggle has been the cost of green coffee. (Green coffee is what we call coffee beans before they’re roasted. It’s how we import and receive them.) Prices are the highest they’ve ever been in history. At the same time, all our other costs have gone up, too.
We’re committed to maintaining high quality, that’s a non-negotiable, and we can’t pass the full cost burden onto our customers either. That makes it tough. It’s a real challenge to balance between being fair to producers and our team, staying sustainable as a business, and remaining accessible to our community. But we’re working through it, creatively, carefully, and as well as we can.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
– What should we know about Panther Coffee?
Panther Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster, retailer, and wholesaler founded in 2010 in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood by myself, Leticia Pollock and my husband and partner Joel Pollock. We focus on sourcing, roasting, and serving high-quality coffees. We work directly with producers around the world to source sutainable coffees that taste unique and delicious.
We grew out of real experience in the field and authentic, long-lasting connections in coffee. Both my husband Joel and I had spent years working in many roles across the coffee industry before starting Panther.
– What do you do?
Our team sources and selects coffees, then carefully roast them in small batches at three locations: Wynwood and Little Haiti in Miami, and Traverse City, Michigan. Panther Coffee supplies freshly roasted coffee to cafés, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses around the country. We also operate our own coffee shops and serve as a space for events, education and an everyday gathering hub for the community.
Beyond roasting and serving, we also focus on training and education—both internally with our team and externally with our wholesale partners. We offer support with barista training, equipment, service, menu creation, and more.
In the last few years we’ve also been building out our tea and matcha brand, River Organic Teas & Botanicals, which reflects the same values and commitment to quality as our coffee program.
– What do you specialize in / what are you known for?
We’re best known for:
• Exceptional coffee
• Long-standing relationships with coffee producers
• Community-centered cafés
• Playing a key role in shaping the specialty coffee scene in Miami and beyond
• Long-lasting relationships with our team
We’re proud that many of our team members stay with Panther Coffee for years, growing into new roles and helping shape the company and it’s culture.
– What sets you apart from others?
We never built Panther to be flashy, we built it to be excellent, intentional, and long-lasting. Some things that set us apart:
• We’re still independently owned and operated, without investors pushing short-term goals at the expense of the team and product.
• We prioritize relationships, not just transactions. Some of our producer relationships go back 15+ years.
• We reinvest in our team, many of our leaders grew with the company.
• We’re adaptable but principled, Panther Coffee is always evolving, but guided by our mission and values.
– What are you most proud of, brand-wise?
I’m proud that Panther is still rooted in the same mission we started with: sourcing and preparing amazing coffee while building mutually beneficial relationships along the way. I’m proud of all the jobs we provide and the communities we serve, and that we’ve helped train and launch the careers of so many passionate people in the industry.
I’m also proud that our brand is trusted—by customers, by producers, team members, wholesale partners, and peers.
– What do you want readers to know about your offerings, services, and approach?
If you’re enjoying a cup of Panther Coffee, I want you to know it didn’t get to you by accident. That coffee was chosen, roasted, and brewed with care; and the work behind it reflects years of hard work, collaboration, learning, and mutual respect.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I moved to Miami as a young adult and enjoyed many of my most formative years here. Panther Coffee was born in Miami, and so was our daughter. In so many ways Miami shaped my family into what it is. It’s one of the most important places in my life.
There’s truly a lot to love here. Miami is beautiful. Those unbeatable views and the breeze when you’re walking down the Venetian Causeway. I love the authentic flavors of Latin American food, and I appreciate how much opportunity there is to create and connect in so many areas.
That said, there are challenges too. The bureaucracy and lack of clarity around permitting and city services can be incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to open or operate a small business. The sudden spike in the cost of living and rent has also hit many of us hard. We are desperately missing respectful, good-quality, affordable housing so people can stay rooted here, not pushed out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://panthercoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panthercoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panthercoffee/
- Twitter: https://x.com/panthercoffee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@panthercoffee9066/videos
Image Credits
Joel Pollock
Kassandra Guzman
Leticia Pollock
Panther Coffee
Steve Alicea
Saul Rapalo
