Milwaukee-based
Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. has been acquired by Kansas City, Missouri-based
FairWave Coffee Collective. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
FairWave is a collective of specialty coffee brands working together to elevate coffee experiences within each brand’s own community. As part of the deal, Anodyne’s founders sold the company to FairWave and then reinvested into FairWave. FairWave has created a local ownership group with key leaders from Anodyne to preserve the locally built brand.
FairWave offers financial insights, industry best practices and behind-the-scenes support to its collective of coffee brands.
"As a local brand, we will stay true to our customers while leveraging FairWave's resources," said
Steve Kessler, director of wholesale operations at Anodyne. "At the end of the day, we are still Anodyne Roasting Co. with the same great team & coffee."
Anodyne will continue regular café operations and provide the same wholesale product offerings as usual. Anodyne's employees will remain in their current positions, and the company will continue to operate locally in Milwaukee. Anodyne's leadership team, including Kessler, Nolan Truttschel, Laura Lown and Stephanie Burton, will serve as FairWave's local Milwaukee ownership group. Matt McClutchy and Lacee Perry, owners of Anodyne, will become partial owners in FairWave through this transition.
"With more than two decades of experience in the specialty coffee industry, Anodyne is bringing a wealth of talent and experience to the collective," said
Joe Marrocco, FairWave's vice president of coffee sourcing and product development. "Milwaukee has a strong sense of community with a vibrant food and beverage scene, and we couldn't be happier to launch in this market with such an incredible partner."
Founded in 1999, Anodyne Coffee has grown to operate three different Milwaukee area café locations, as well as a roastery in Walker’s Point.