Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Nolte.
Hi Chris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Chris Nolte and Paul Massard have known each other since 2001 as freshman business students at the University of Miami. They stayed friends through undergrad before going their separate ways.
Paul started in the coffee industry as an intern at First Colony Coffee and Tea during undergrad and went on to work full time with The Roasterie in Kansas City, MO. While there, he held positions in roasting, green coffee sourcing, and logistics. Over six years, Paul traveled extensively sourcing coffee in Central and South America as well as Eastern Africa, developing the direct sourcing relationships Per’La uses today.
In 2013, Paul became Director of Operations (later Director of Supply Chain) at Honolulu Coffee Company, gaining hands-on coffee farming knowledge. He earned his Q Grader certification in 2012—one of only about 350 in the U.S. at the time—which is highly valued for blending, quality control, and culinary pairings.
Prior to Per’La, Chris held various Business Development and Marketing roles in medical sales and logistics, involving complex sales cycles. Many customer service and account management lessons from that world are now core to Per’La’s brand.
The idea for Per’La began on March 25, 2015, when Paul texted Chris on his birthday. They bonded over entrepreneurship (both their fathers were entrepreneurs) and opportunities to collaborate. They wrote a business plan, self-funded the startup, and roasted their first batch on December 15, 2015. In under six months, they had a plan, a brand, Paul had relocated from Hawaii to Miami, and they installed a roaster. We both left stable jobs for full dedication to the venture but immediately found a passion for the Per’La brand and the partners we service.
Vanessa Valera Nolte joined as a Managing Partner in 2021, bringing nearly 20 years of international business experience in consumer electronics and home goods, with expertise in branding, finance, and accounting. A University of Miami graduate and EY Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, she also mentors women entrepreneurs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I always like to tell new and potential entrepreneurs that business ownership is a daily roller coaster but overall is incredibly rewarding. We focus on our customers and growing the Per’La brand day by day which is why it is important to take a step back from time to time and appreciate the growth and relationships we have built along the way. If you had told me when we first started at the farmer’s market that we would be the trusted coffee partners with some of the biggest names in hospitality then I would be over the moon! It’s a true testament that hard work pays off.
The one major struggle was the pandemic of 2020. Like all businesses, we had to make changes on the fly and dedicated ourselves to showing up and supporting our wholesale partners in whatever way possible. We definitely came out of the pandemic more dedicated to our craft and convinced we were headed in the right direction!
We’ve been impressed with Per’La Coffee, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Coffee is such a critical part of any hospitality organization and oftentimes it is what you start your day with or, in some cases, how you end you meal. I like to tell people that our biggest competition is the large, generic, multinational coffee brand that is lacking in story, craft, freshness, and aroma. All of the things that are essential to the guest experience!
We place a considerable emphasis on our order fulfillment and it never gets old when a customer is surprised when they receive their coffee that was roasted less than 24 hours earlier. The experience of drinking a Per’La latte, espresso, or cold brew that’s small batch roasted is very different from getting a coffee roasted overseas that may be six to 12 months old!
We really value the approachability of our coffee lineup and how it can create regular customers that visit the locations multiple times a week.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I was always very active as a child so team sports like basketball, football, baseball, and soccer kept me very busy. It’s incredible what you can learn as a child being part of a team and how it develops the habits the directly translate to running a business like Per’La. We all came from different backgrounds to share in a common goal, overcome adversity, and WIN!
Pricing:
- 12oz retail bags range from $18-$25
- Wholesale pricing varies by customer and volume
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drinkperla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkperla/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophernolte/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0qD6HVLu9A
