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Perk! co-owners Cristophile Konstas and Elizabeth Ellen (Photo courtesy Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox)
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Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox
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Peraspori olive oil
Origin Story
“Eleven years ago, when Elizabeth [Ellen] and I both had young kids, we yearned to create a communal space for parents that offered what local coffee shops downtown did: namely, community. Our kids have collectively grown up together, a lot of them even end up working at Perk!”
Christophile Konstas (Illustration by Abigail Giuseppe)
Standing Order
“My staff calls it ‘shot soup’ — espresso poured over ice in a small ceramic mug, basically a mini iced Americano.”
Arts Galore
“As a parent, the VMFA and VisArts are my faves for classes and accessible exhibits. When I’m on my own, I like checking out the ICA, Quirk Gallery, The Branch Museum and Pamplemousse Gallery. Studio Two Three workshops and markets are a great way to meet and support local artists.”
Ancestral Groves
“I get to share my family’s cold-pressed olive oil and olives from Greece through our brand Peraspori, which has brought me so much closer to the village of Palaiopanagia and the people there. We launched in 2020.”
Love Among the Stacks
“I worked at Plan 9 Records while in undergrad, and after, and I formed some of the core relationships of my adulthood there, including meeting my husband, who was a frequent customer.”
Kid Stuff
“This is my third year teaching second graders at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. There’s a lot of fun to be had in the Greek alphabet with letters like beta and sigma, and my rule in class is you can say ‘6-7,’ but only in Greek.”
Adventure Time
“An ideal day off looks like a nice long hike on the river with a friend, treasure hunting for art and vintage furniture with my husband, searching out the best burgers in town with my family, and hanging out at home listening to records or watching a movie.”
