FairWave Acquires Second Milwaukee Coffeehouse Chain

Menomonee Falls Fiddleheads. Photo courtesy of Fiddleheads Coffee.

FairWave Coffee Collective has acquired Fiddleheads Coffee Roasters, expanding its portfolio of Milwaukee-area cafes to 12.

The sale, announced Jan. 2 in a joint press release, followed more than a year of deliberation, said Ray Marcy who previously co-owned Fiddleheads with Mike Wroblewski.

“Fiddleheads is our family’s baby,” Marcy said in a statement. “It was really important to us that if we ever did decide to sell, it would be to someone who works in coffee—someone who understands how special Fiddleheads is to us, and how special it has become to the local community here.”

It also marks continued local growth for the Kansas City-based FairWave, which took ownership of Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. in 2023.

News of the second Milwaukee-area acquisition comes in the wake of ongoing scrutiny over FairWave’s response to the successful unionization of Anodyne employees last year.

Despite initial appeals, FairWave, primarily owned by private equity firm Great Range Capital, held its first bargaining session with MASH in December, said President of Growth Isaac Hodges. “We look forward to continuing these important conversations and remain committed to a fair and constructive process,” he said in a statement.

Fiddleheads locations in Downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Shorewood, Thiensville, Wauwatosa, Cedarburg, Grafton and Menomonee Falls are now part of the FairWave collective, which also includes Minnesota’s SpyHouse Coffee Roasters, Maryland’s Ceremony Coffee Roasters and Missouri’s Messenger Coffee Co., among others.

As Fiddleheads approaches its 30th anniversary, FairWave says it plans to maintain the chain’s existing identity. “We took our time getting to know Fiddleheads’ brand, their community and their people,” Hodges said in a statement. “We wanted to make sure that FairWave and Fiddleheads were a good fit for each other.”

Hodges added that “gaining a deep understanding of Fiddleheads’ legacy and place within the community” was central to that commitment.

“After meeting with Isaac and the incredible FairWave team for over a year, we knew we’d found the right home for our brand,” Marcy said. “They’re coffee people. They understand the heart and soul of this business and are determined to keep that alive.”

FairWave has no official plans or announcements related to expansion at this time, Hodges said, noting that the company is “focused on learning” from the cafe teams.

Hodges praised Fiddleheads’ “innovative bakery program” and suggested there may be an opportunity to expand those offerings at Anodyne; however, the cafe brands are expected to remain separate. “Anodyne and Fiddleheads are both beloved local brands with a rich legacy and strong community connections, and that’s something we’re excited to support well into the future,” he said.

Marcy and Wroblewski will maintain “key roles” at Fiddleheads throughout the coming months, as the cafes complete their transition to new ownership.

“The Fiddleheads leadership team is excited to be part of the collective where ideas can be shared with many other coffee brands,” Marcy said. “Growth and expansion certainly won’t slow down with Fiddleheads joining the collective.”