COFFEE, MILWAUKEE STYLE!
Local roasters, retailers thriving

MOST discussions of the phenomenal growth of specialty coffee drinks in the U.S. begin with the overwhelming presence of Starbucks and other chains. But under the radar, local and regional roasters and retailers have been going strong, especially in cities like Milwaukee where ethnic traditions are as strong as the coffee.

“Northwestern Coffee Mills and its predecessor companies moved into specialty roasting early because it was requested by Milwaukee’s large Italian community that wanted a real Italian roast,” explains Harry Demorest, who operated Northwestern Coffee Mills in the Historic Third Ward until moving to northern Wisconsin in 1998.

Northwestern evolved from other Milwaukee-based coffee roasters that dated back to 1875. “When we acquired Northwestern in 1969, Northwestern was one of only five specialty coffee roasters in the country,” says Demorest.

During the 1970s, there was a hint of what was to come in long-gone Milwaukee counter-culture coffee houses like the Purple Eye and Plum Creek, along with more establishment retailers like the Coffee Trader. But the real explosion of the city’s coffee culture is only about 15 years old, coinciding with the nationwide interest in cappuccinos, lattes and other specialty drinks.

Here are a few caffeinated milestones:

•  A new breed of specialty coffee shops began cropping up in the early ‘90s. Steamers in downtown Milwaukee and the Java House in Cedarburg were two of the earliest. The Java House came on the scene early in 1992 and continues to this day under the same ownership.

Java House founder David Monroe lived for a time in Europe where he enjoyed the café scene so much that he brought it back to Historic Cedarburg. Now joined in Cedarburg by several other independent coffee retailers, a Starbucks and a roaster/retailer, the Java House continues to be one of the primary meeting places in Cedarburg.

• In downtown Milwaukee, former radio announcer Max Hoelzl formed Midwest Espresso in 1992 with a specialty coffee cart concept borrowed from Starbucks. His first cart at the 411 E. Wisconsin building is now a permanent cafe, but he still maintains carts in the Federal Building and the Milwaukee Center atrium, along with a second permanent location in the Blatz condominiums.

“Starbucks educated people for me, moving attitudes away from the free refill approach to coffee,” says the always quotable Hoetzl. He also points to the cachet of the product. “Gourmet coffee is cool and if you like gourmet coffee, you’re cool.”

• 1993 marked the start of Alterra Coffee Roasters, the first of the new breed of coffee roasters destined to acquire national recognition as a roaster and a local reputation as a retailer and roaster. Hoelzl’s Midwest Espresso operation was one of Alterra’s first customers and continues to serve only Alterra roasts.

Today, Alterra operates coffee shops at nine locations in the Milwaukee area, including a widely acclaimed café in a historic pumping station on Lincoln Memorial Drive. At all locations, Alterra’s coffees are accompanied by bakery and luncheon items supplied by Alterra Baking Company since 2001.

Alterra also continues to sell its coffee wholesale to hundreds of Wisconsin retailers. And through its Website, Alterra generates orders from around the country.

Other roasters quickly followed Alterra: Stone Creek Coffee, based in downtown Milwaukee, now operates nine retail outlets in the metro area; Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. is in the Bay View neighborhood on the city’s South Side and Cedarburg Coffee Roastery is in Cedarburg, with  a second retail outlet in the Milwaukee Public Market.

Despite the influx of chains, independent coffee retailers continue to flourish, often becoming showplaces for local artists and always serving as meeting places. Examples include the Fuel Cafe in Riverwest and One-Way Café in the Village of Wauwatosa.

Ward Fowler, president of Alterra and host of this month’s Great Lakes Barista Championship in Milwaukee, sees continued growth for independent roasters and cafes. Chains came into larger cities in a much bigger way and now are the dominant providers. Smaller markets like Milwaukee were not as attractive, allowing independents to establish a reputation and loyal following.

Look no further than Alterra to see how well local coffee roasters and merchants are doing. The growing company that once roasted beans in the basement of Canvasbacks, a Milwaukee women’s apparel manufacturer, is now preparing to move into its new headquarters building in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood.