Rock Hill coffee company hopes to go national. How it’s aiming to do that.
A Rock Hill coffee company with dreams of becoming a national coffee company is taking its next step — with a trip to the beach.
Knowledge Perk Coffee Company plans to open its first drive-thru location this fall in Little River. The South Carolina town on the Intracoastal Waterway in Horry County, between North Myrtle Beach and the North Carolina state line, will open a new expansion route for Knowledge Perk.
The first drive-thru is a strategic step toward scaling up growth, company CEO Ryan Sanderson said in announcing the expansion on Tuesday.
“It’s the first of several formats designed to meet increasing demand without compromising quality,” he said.
Knowledge Perk began in 2017 as a small-batch coffee roastery. It’s name is a nod to Knowledge Park, the revamped downtown area of Rock Hill where former mill sites have transformed into commercial sites, offices, restaurants and a sports center.
The company is still based in Rock Hill, but has added sites in Fort Mill, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg and Charlotte. The company is building a coffee-infused lifestyle brand, Sanderson said, with university and sports partnerships.
Knowledge Perk has branded coffee agreements with the University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University, Charlotte FC and the United States Disc Golf Championship that’s hosted each year in Rock Hill.
Expansion in Columbia
Knowledge Perk will open a second Columbia cafe this month, in the lobby of the new Gateway 737 student housing development for the University of South Carolina. Another new licensed Knowledge Perk spot will open at The Mill at Fountain Inn from the same owners who run the Spartanburg site.
The growth from five to 10 locations in fewer than 18 months, with more projects expected, proves the Knowledge Perk model can be replicated and that customers want it, Sanderson said.
Moving from licensing products to franchising locations is a likely step toward creating a national brand, he said.
“We’re proving that premium coffee can grow fast, stay authentic and compete at a national level,” Sanderson said.
