Corner Perk’s Growth
Written by Jessica Farthing | Photographed by Rob Kaufman
Josh Cooke considers himself a creator. In fact, if you grab his business card, that’s his title, one that he’s certainly earned. You could also add “risk-taker” for the owner and operator of the much beloved and rapidly expanding Corner Perk Brunch Cafe.
He jumped into opening his dream coffee shop in Bluffton 2009 and hasn’t looked back.
In fact, he’s moving ahead. Corner Perk has now opened on Hilton Head Island — and a new store at Buckwalter Place in Bluffton is just on the horizon.
It all began from need.
“I was a 27-year-old with two degrees,” he said. “I couldn’t get a job. It was just a tough economy at that point. They were laying people off and not hiring. I always wanted to try this, and we didn’t have any kids yet.”
He doesn’t claim all the credit for creating his longstanding business. His wife and business partner, Kali, helped envision the concept and became the supporter of the family.
“She worked as a music teacher, a music therapist for those first five years. I worked part time in a couple of jobs, but she paid the bills,” he said.
“I didn’t go to school for business or management or have training in either of those things,” Cooke remembered, “But I had enthusiasm and persistence and I really loved making drinks for people and being a part of the community. That’s how we got started.”
With a little money left over from student loans and a credit card, the couple opened the Corner Perk in Bluffton, but not at its current location. After they had children, it became apparent that it was time for Cooke to fully step into his dream or quit. He chose to invest in the business, moving to May River Road.
“If I was going to change the location, I was going to find the best spot we could possibly find. It was a long, challenging process to open there.”
It took a year and a half to get the cafe open. Cooke was lucky to get a deal on a purchase of the downtown spot, a gamble that has clearly paid off now that the area is busier. He’s used the equity in his building to fuel growth.
The newest Corner Perk to open is on Hilton Head Island in a former Atlanta Bread Company location (45 Pembroke Drive at Festival Centre at Indigo Park) that Cooke remembers from his high school days on the island.
“It’s huge. It’s more than we need, but I thought if we could figure out how to make it work, it would be ideal,” he said.
The space is now transformed with murals painted by local artists and a huge kitchen. They’ve doubled the amount of indoor and outdoor seating from the Bluffton store.
The outpost is now up and running, serving coffee and delicious food seven days a week.
Cooke expects to break ground on the Buckwalter location in a few months. (Corner Perk also has a space in Port Royal).
As for the original location, it’s offering the same menu but without the local favorite concerts, for now. The location held the Roasting Room, a live music venue meant to bring the community together to celebrate the arts. That’s on hold while the restaurant expands.
There was a plan to have live music in the original location from the beginning. Cooke had always been interested in promoting the arts and it made sense to offer concerts for the community in his larger space. The idea for the Roasting Room was a good one, but with expansion on his mind, Cooke made the decision to pull back on scheduling shows and the extra work associated with planning events. The drive to support musicians hasn’t stopped though.
“I anticipate with the right people and the right time, it will be something really great again in terms of music for the community,” Cooke said.
The family is happy to expand Corner Perk locations across the area but won’t venture out for now.
“People are always asking me if we’ll open in Charleston, but we’ve got a 10- and a 12-year-old, and I don’t want to be gone at this point in my life. We’ve got a great thing going,” Cooke said.
The community agrees.
