Jacob Williams is building more than a coffee shop—though the coffee is good, too.
The Perch, opening its doors to the public on Tuesday, August 4, is a third space offering games, coffee, and intentionally sourced treats.
“My goal was to create a place where people can just hang out,” Williams said.
Located in a new development, Peterson Station off Sunset Lake and Stephenson roads, the space features a coffee shop serving Cat & Cloud coffee and curated local baked goods in the front. While he has friends who work with different coffee companies, Williams said, he wanted to bring something new to the market with Cat & Cloud, which is based in his native California.
In the back, $5 gets you access to more than 200 tabletop games to play at one of the open tables. A private room, with a tricked-out table, is available to rent at $60 for four hours.
The Perch already has a slate of events listed, from “Magic: The Gathering” nights, events teaching newcomers to different games how to play, puzzling, live music, and other community events. With The Perch, the whole purpose is to “stimulate intentional presence,” Williams said.
Williams’s focus on bringing quality local products to the community is reflected in the cafe offerings. Baked goods include Bestow cakes and cookies, Apex Cheesecakes, Lutra Cafe and Bakery buns, and scones and more from Guglhupf Bakery.
Outside of coffee, beverages include Waynesville Soda Jerks, from Waynesville, and Tractor organic lemonade, and are available for purchase in a chilled case.
While the hours are still being figured out as of Wednesday afternoon, Williams plans to open The Perch at 7 a.m. weekdays, with a later open time on Saturday and Sunday. Mondays-Wednesdays, The Perch will stay open until 9 p.m., and until about 11 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Sunday hours are the most fluid at the moment.
Williams, who has worked as a change management consultant and volunteered as a mentor with Launch Holly Springs, has a people-centric vision for the type of business he wants to run. For example, he didn’t require that employees have barista experience, stating that he only wants to “find people who love people—the rest you can train.”
Williams and his family moved to Holly Springs about 10 years ago. “I live about four minutes away,” he said. “It’s a great spot.”
Find it: The Perch, 1125 McChesney Hill Loop, Holly Springs; thirdperch.com.
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