Fairwave adds another Minneapolis coffee company to its fresh-brewed collective alongside Messenger, Roasterie
August 3, 2022 | Startland News Staff
FairWave Coffee Collective has pulled another shot of growth, serving up news Tuesday of its acquisition of a second Minneapolis-based purveyor in as many years.
“We are thrilled to welcome Up Coffee Roasters to the FairWave collective,” Suzanne Gunning, vice president of marketing, said in a release.
The acquisition keeps Kansas City-based FairWave on track with its 2020-poured goal to brew a unified network of coffee brands — beginning with Messenger Coffee and The Roasterie — that operate together and provide communities with quality coffee.
“As the Collective grows in Minneapolis and into new markets, we are driven by the same purpose: to preserve and elevate local specialty coffee brands through best practices, innovation, and authentic coffee experiences,” added Dan Trott, CEO of FairWave.
Click here to learn more about FairWave Coffee Collective and its beginnings.
Fellow Minneapolis-made brand, Spyhouse Coffee Roasters, joined the collective in 2021.
“Up will bring a new element to the collective with most of its business focused on wholesale products, equipment, and supplies. We’re excited to be able to support and help grow another local Minneapolis business that is so heavily ingrained in the local community,” Gunning continued.
A regional leader in Minneapolis, Up is known for its work to provide its peers with fair trade, organic coffee, wholesale specialty food ingredients, equipment, supplies, and cafe training. Its work has to date impacted more than 1,000 coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, and universities.
In addition to its work to educate within the coffee space, the company operates at Northeast Minneapolis storefront, Up Café.
“It’s an exciting day for Up Coffee as we join the FairWave Coffee Collective,” said David Chall, owner.
“For almost three decades, we’ve been providing the Minneapolis area with wholesale artisan fair trade organic coffee, and we know this new partnership will only help us grow and improve our operations.”
Chall will continue to run the company despite its acquisition by FairWave — of which he is now an investor. All Up employees will retain their positions and the company will continue to operate as a local entity.
Featured Business

2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Caffeine nation: 1 Million Cups hits the century mark
Dubbed as “the church for entrepreneurs,” 1 Million Cups recently hit a milestone with the reach of its programming. A product of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups has launched in Waco, Texas, marking the entrepreneurial forum’s 100th participating community. 1 Million Cups launched in Kansas City in 2012 and has been spreading…
Take a tour of KC’s newest, largest coworking space: iWerx
Kansas City’s newest and largest coworking studio plans to celebrate its grand opening in style during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Based in North Kansas City, iWerx’s massive 33,000-square-feet facility is now welcoming tenants into its swanky new digs that feature an array of amenities, most notably access to its ridiculously fast 10-gigabit Internet. Built in 1929,…
The metric that your startup needs to measure: Net promoter score
Startups are full of uncertainty — and prospective clients know that. Credibility and reputation are both keys to a company’s ability to not only sell a product or service, but also to create brand ambassadors that will promote it to friends and others. As the saying goes, your customers are your best salespeople. “If you…
Comcast launches new gigabit service in Kansas City metro
The Kansas City gigabit market just become more crowded. In addition to Google Fiber and AT&T, Comcast has now joined the ranks of Kansas City Internet providers offering gigabit speeds. In 2017 Comcast will begin to roll out residential gigabit Internet service to customers in the Kansas City suburban area. The company will deliver the…

