Jan. 23, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. – Wonderstate Coffee has been recognized as the 2025 Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine, an award that celebrates superior coffee quality, dedication to sustainability, and a commitment to equity and community support. Wonderstate is featured in their November/December 2024 issue.
“Being named Roaster of the Year is a reflection of the dedication of our team and communities that support us. Coffee is a force for positive impact, and we’re committed to living out that belief.”
TJ Semanchin, Co-Owner, Wonderstate Coffee
Each year, Roast awards the Roaster of the Year title to two companies: Micro Roaster of the Year, for companies roasting fewer than 100,000 pounds of coffee annually, and Macro Roaster of the Year, for companies roasting more than 100,000 pounds. The award highlights companies that prioritize quality and sustainability and exemplify leadership in the areas of employee development, community support, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Founded in 2005 in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, Wonderstate Coffee roasts approximately 450,000 pounds of coffee annually and employs 90 team members across its roasting facility and cafés in Bayfield, Madison and Viroqua. Co-owners TJ Semanchin, Caleb Nicholes, and Bobbi Griffin attribute Wonderstate’s continued success to a guiding set of values: Excellence, Gratitude, and Service to our Collective Future. This philosophy informs everything from sourcing practices and environmental sustainability to relationships with employees, customers, and coffee-growing partners worldwide. Ninety-eight percent of the coffees the company purchases are sourced from certified organic farms.
“Part of our origin story is this idea of our dual mission as a company, excellence in quality and also ethical trading,” said TJ Semanchin. “But those are also often competing interests, polarities, and concepts that create the conflict that drives us forward.”
Wonderstate prides itself on paying competitive prices. The company has established a minimum price per pound for green coffee, which increases by five cents each year, although many of its contracts are set well above that. The minimum for 2025 is $3.15. In mid-December, the commodity market price for coffee reached its highest point ever, capping a year of significant price fluctuations. This historic high is a crucial moment for the industry—one that impacts everyone from coffee farmers to coffee drinkers. However, even with these high prices, when adjusted for inflation, coffee farmers are still earning less than they did 40 years ago.
“Being named Roaster of the Year is a reflection of the dedication of our team and the communities that support us. We believe that coffee can be a force for positive impact, and we’re committed to living out that belief every day. We’re incredibly grateful for this recognition,” said Semanchin.
In 2010, Wonderstate Coffee was named Roaster of the Year in the micro category, making them the first to win the award in both categories.
For more about Wonderstate Coffee and its commitment to quality and sustainability, visit wonderstate.com.
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