FairWave Acquires Milwaukee’s Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.

[Note: This story has been updated to fix a typo in the headline.]

Building upon a wave of acquisitions, Kansas City, Missouri-based FairWave Holdings has acquired longtime Milwaukee roaster and retailer Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.

FairWave said that Anodyne will continue all regular retail and wholesale operations, while all employees will remain in their current positions. Anodyne owners Matt McClutchy and Lacee Perry will become partial owners of FairWave, while the Anodyne leadership group of Steve Kessler, Nolan Truttschel, Laura Lown and Stephanie Burton will comprise FairWave’s local ownership group in the Milwaukee market.

FairWave, which launched in 2020 with ownership stakes in Kansas City-based The Roasterie and Messenger Coffee, describes itself as a “collective” of specialty coffee brands that maintain their identities and local focuses while leveraging shared resources. The group now owns 10 brands throughout the midwest United States.

A Milwaukee pioneer in the contemporary craft coffee movement since 1999, Anodyne currently operates four retail locations, including the cafe and music venue adjacent to its nearly 10-year-old production roastery in the Walker’s Point neighborhood.

A view of Anodyne’s Walker’s Point roastery cafe. DCN file photo by Nick Brown.

“With more than two decades of experience in the specialty coffee industry, Anodyne is bringing a wealth of talent and experience to the collective,” Joe Marrocco, VP of coffee sourcing and product development at FairWave said in an announcement from the group yesterday. “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.”

In May, FairWave acquired Minneapolis-area businesses Folly Coffee and Philtera Cold Brewed Coffee. That followed the group’s 2022 investment in Minneapolis-based Up Coffee Roasters, which came nearly two years after the firm’s acquisition of fellow Minneapolis roaster/retailer Spyhouse Coffee.

Does your coffee business have news to share? Let DCN’s editors know here.