Coffee Conglomerate Buys Out Local Coffee Shop, Declines To Voluntarily Recognize Union – CoffeeTalk

Anodyne, a local coffee shop founded in 1999 by Lacee Perry and her husband Matt McClutchy, has been sold to FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective, a nationwide coffee conglomerate based in Kansas City, Missouri. FairWave manages 11 brands across the United States, with Anodyne being its only Milwaukee-based brand. The company is owned by Great Range Capital, a private equity firm also based in the Kansas City area.

The story of Anodyne’s unionization effort uncovers a nationwide coffee conglomerate, a private equity portfolio that includes roofing services and sports camps, and a barrage of firings that drove its workers to band together now or be picked off one by one. Customers noticed changes when Anodyne’s popular blend of cold brew was replaced by FairWave’s product, and the pizza sold out of its Bay View location. Customers had ideas about what could be done, so they mentioned that they should unionize.

However, customers didn’t see a significant dock in starting pay for baristas handed down from Kansas City, and a string of firings behind the scenes. Syd Vinyard, a coffee lead at Anodyne, says FairWave wanted to dock starting pay by 20%. After some pushback, they’d get their wish. At least three managers were fired or walked out, including one manager who was replaced immediately without a public job posting. Vinyard notes that these managers were often fired soon after pushing back against FairWave over starting pay or micromanagement of cafe operations from afar.

After manager after manager was fired or walked out over disagreements with FairWave, there was a palpable feeling that anyone could be next. Vinyard and his coworkers moved quickly and quietly, contacting a representative from the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Union, or MASH, which also represents workers in the Deer District. MASH, Vinyard, Otto, and other Anodyne workers met secretly over several months, bringing a few more workers on board with each meeting. On April 14, Anodyne workers went public, demanding that FairWave recognize their union voluntarily, as 94% of workers had signed union authorization cards. Days after going public, 100% of workers had signed union cards.

FairWave declined to voluntarily recognize the union. A FairWave spokesperson said in a statement to WUWM that “we believe the most fair and inclusive way to determine our path forward is a secret ballot election, ensuring every team member’s voice is heard privately.” The election will take place in a few weeks, and they will respect and support the outcome of this democratic process.

FairWave refers to the “secret ballot election” as a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, where workers vote on whether to unionize. The election date is set for May 21 and if a majority of workers do not vote in favor of the union, the employer is not obligated to recognize the union. If a majority of workers vote in favor of a union, the process of bargaining over a contract begins. This process is often more difficult than forming a union in the first place, as the employer opposes the union and tries to stop the first contract from happening.

Anodyne, a local coffee shop, has earned a reputation for over two decades, with regulars like Dave Maass seeing it as their neighborhood’s gathering place. Maass has visited Anodyne’s Bay View location for over a decade and sees it as his “water cooler” after retirement. However, since 2023, the company was sold to FairWave, and Maass still sees the sense of community in the customers and staff.

The sense of community remains in the customers and staff, even if some of the original charm has worn off. Young mothers bring their babies here when their house is too messy to host their in-laws, and engaged couples often have sweet moments there.

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