Spyhouse Coffee acquired by Kansas City-based company

Spyhouse Coffee, which has five coffee shops in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul, has been sold to FairWave Collective, a Kansas City, Missouri-based company that formed in 2020. 

The acquisition was announced via a joint news release, explaining that FairWaive will provide Spyhouse "with industry best practices and support, including marketing and technology." 

Spyhouse will continue to operate independently in the Twin Cities, the release adds.

"The experience and coffee that make Spyhouse a unique and inviting coffee roaster will remain the same," the release says. 

In fact, the coffee selection is set to expand, according to Spyhouse President Kevin Wencel, who says FairWave's access to unique coffee from around the world will allow the company to grow the coffee lineup and "make it even more interesting." 

Jobs do not appear to be affected by the sale. FairWave says the "current Spyhouse team is integral for continuity in the short term and growth in the longer term." Coffee will continue to be produced at the Spyhouse Roasting Facility in Northeast Minneapolis. 

In August 2020, nearly three dozen Spyhouse Coffee employees formed a union, which City Pages reported was not supported by Spyhouse's owner at the time, Christian Johnson.

The union said employees were facing unclear mask policies, lack of enforcement of social distancing inside the cafes, lack of proper cleaning supplies, and table arrangements that don't allow for proper social distancing during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's unclear if FairWave supports employees unionizing.