Fiddleheads Coffee – the oldest family-owned small-batch roastery in Thiensville, Wisconsin, US – has joined the FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective as it looks to secure its long-term future while maintaining its local roots.

Founded in 1996, Fiddleheads operates eight cafés across the Greater Milwaukee area. The company said the move is intended to support its long-term development while maintaining its existing operations and local presence.

The decision follows more than a year of discussions between Fiddleheads’ owners and FairWave. As the business approaches its 29th year of trading, the owners said they began evaluating options for the company’s future and potential succession.

FairWave, which operates a portfolio of speciality coffee brands, said it conducted an extended assessment of Fiddleheads’ business and market position prior to the agreement.

Specialty Coffee Collective's owner, Ray Marcy, said: “Fiddleheads is our family’s baby. 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.”

"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 added. “They’re coffee people. They understand the heart and soul of this business and are determined to keep that alive.”

Fiddleheads becomes the second FairWave brand in the Milwaukee market, following Anodyne Coffee Roasting, which joined the collective in June 2023.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.