The Perfect Cup isn’t going anywhere
Rich and Rachael Chalupsky recently purchased and took over the Perfect Cup in Matlacha, however, Rich said while they plan to add to the menu, nothing will be taken away, ensuring that if you have a favorite dish, you will still be able to get it there.
“We have been coming to Fort Myers for years,” said Chalupsky. “We loved the area. Everywhere else we vacationed always seemed to have something missing. About 5 years ago we knew we would one day retire to this area. Last winter we realized the things we loved to do weren’t in Minnesota, we weren’t happy. We decided to come down to Florida and see what might be available.”
Shortly after that Chalupsky says his wife began searching the Internet and found a fabrication shop, which they purchased, and also the Perfect Cup, which they knew nothing about except that it was a coffee shop on an island where they’d never been.
“Tourists don’t know about Matlacha,” said Chalupsky. “Matlacha is the neatest, most fun and relaxing little island I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Having grown up on a resort in Canada, Chalupsky said he finds the small island community feels much the same as his childhood up north.
“No one here is hurried, and everything is so laid back,” said Chalupsky. “Even a bad day in Matlacha beats a perfect day anywhere else.”
Working nights wasn’t something the Chalupskys were willing to do any longer, making the Perfect Cup a perfect choice of business for them. Since they had been part owners of “Sammy’s Pizza,” a family-owned chain in the upper Midwest for almost 20 years, they were ready for something different. The whole family is helping to run the Perfect Cup, Chalupsky said, adding that although it is truly his wife Rachael’s baby, son Jed and daughter-in-law Laura Lucy are helping as well.
“Rachael is as good as the best front of house operators I’ve ever seen,” said Chalupsky of his wife. “She never looks rushed, she never looks like anything is bothering her and it doesn’t matter how busy you get — she’s got it.”
Great service is a top-notch priority and one of the strengths Chalupsky said that they offer, although he said they are not planning on a different menu or coffee recipe, until they add things they feel may be enjoyed.
“We’ll come up with new specials, but if you have a favorite that you’ve been having at the Perfect Cup for years, it’s still going to be on the menu,” said Chalupsky. “Everyone we’ve met has been wonderful. Everybody knows each other and people are coming in wanting to meet us and shake our hands. Everyone has a great story to tell and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life here.
“My wife and I believe 100 percent in supporting our community. If you are coming in and buying our food, we’re going to buy your products — price doesn’t matter, we’re looking for quality and we’re looking for friends.”
Chalupsky wants to thank his mother for being the hardest working person he knows, his in-laws for helping them when they needed it, and also their partners up north for giving them the support they needed to make the move and begin life on the island.
He most attributes his work ethic to his father’s words to him.
“When I graduated my dad gave me a pair of work boots, shook my hand and told me the world owed me nothing,” said Chalupsky. “He said, nobody owes you anything. Don’t ever forget that. Everything you get in life will be what you work for.”
The perfect Cup is located at 4548 Pine Island Road in Matlacha.
Please call 239-283-4447 for additional information about the restaurant or its menu.