Maryland coffee roaster joins collective to enhance existing brand and business

BALTIMORE (October 28, 2024) – Ceremony Coffee Roasters announces it has joined the family of brands under FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective. The 22-year-old roaster-retailer is the first Maryland-based coffee company to join the Missouri-based collective that is known for its deep commitment to quality.

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According to longtime Ceremony leader and Wholesale Director Ronnie Haas, “This is an exciting new chapter in Ceremony’s story, and the shared energy of it resonates throughout the culture here. Our hardworking teams are looking forward to new personal and professional growth opportunities with FairWave. Working with a larger, experienced leadership team and collaborating with new specialty coffee friends throughout the Collective will be a total game changer.”

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As part of the investment, founder Vincent Iatesta will continue to lead the Ceremony team as they update systems, continue renovations and expand capabilities in Annapolis. At the same time, the leadership team will prepare for updated responsibilities at Ceremony and FairWave.

“The essence of Ceremony will look and feel the same, the same warm cafés, friendly baristas and exceptional coffee, now backed by an even stronger support system,” says Iatesta. “As part of the Collective, we’ll begin to see the advantages of our new resources, systems and expertise infused into the quality of our work, spaces and culture.”

The FairWave Collective, with member companies such as Messenger, The Roasterie, Spyhouse, Anodyne and more, aims to elevate and support specialty coffee brands that are leading locally and looking for added expertise, economies of scale and back-of-house resources from inside the industry.

“It’s an honor to welcome Ceremony Coffee Roasters to the FairWave Collective,” said Isaac Hodges, president, growth at FairWave Collective. “The people and passion for specialty coffee is evident throughout the organization, and we’re looking forward to growing together.”

Ceremony will contribute six retail locations, its roasting operation and admin office, its cold brew ready-to-drink offerings, its e-commerce business, its dedicated team of coffee professionals and leadership as it signs on with FairWave and its core value of “better together.”

Ceremony will be the first member of a new mid-Atlantic region for the Collective. The Collective aims to retain industry talent, local relationships, and the values already in place of each brand that joins. As it looks to expand outside the Midwest, FairWave selected Ceremony for its vision and commitment to inspire and grow its own specialty coffee community.

FairWave’s mission is to enhance local coffee brands in their respective markets so that the brands truly stay local and remain a part of the communities in which they operate.

About Ceremony Coffee Roasters

Vincent Iatesta founded Ceremony Coffee in 2002 after teaching himself to roast coffee and pull espresso while studying international marketing in the 1990s. Iatesta was inspired to bring coffee culture to the U.S. and opened the first location in Annapolis, Maryland. Ceremony Coffee has since expanded to six locations. For more information, please visit ceremonycoffee.com.

About FairWave

airWave is a specialty coffee collective that fuels the future of local specialty coffee through superior experiences and a mission to respect every hand in the journey from seed to cup. FairWave brings financial insights, industry best practices and behind-the-scenes support so that brands can stay invested in their product, experience and local market. For more information, please visit fairwave.com.