Raleigh, North Carolina-based Black & White Coffee Roasters is now part of FairWave, continuing FairWave’s five-year streak of acquisitions in the high-end specialty coffee industry.
Black & White, founded in 2017 by past US Barista Champions Kyle Ramage and Lem Butler, becomes the 11th brand, and the first in North Carolina, under the FairWave “collective” umbrella.
The financial terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed. An announcement from Kansas City, Missouri-based FairWave said that Ramage will continue to lead Black & White, while Butler is leaving the company, “but will remain committed to fostering meaningful and ethical contributions to the specialty coffee industry.”
Launched in 2020 with the combined acquisition of Kansas City’s The Roasterie and Messenger Coffee, plus individual Messenger-owned retail brands, FairWave has since grown its brand portfolio to include Maryland’s Ceremony Coffee Roasters, Milwaukee’s Anodyne Coffee Roasting, Minneapolis’ Up Coffee Roasters and Spyhouse Coffee Roasters, and more.
FairWave says it offers economies of scale and collective resources to businesses, while maintaining the existing strengths of brands in their local markets. The FairWave portfolio currently includes seven roasters or roaster/retailers, plus four other bakery, tea or coffee shop brands.
Outside of its production roastery in Raleigh, Black & White currently operates two cafes in the Triangle area, while maintaining wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales.
“We are thrilled to welcome Black & White Coffee Roasters to the FairWave Collective,” FairWave President of Growth Isaac Hodges said in an announcement from the company. “Their innovative approach and dedication to pushing the boundaries of specialty coffee align perfectly with our vision. We look forward to learning from their passion and growing together.”
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Nick Brown
Nick Brown is the editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
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