**Wisconsin**: Stone Creek Coffee celebrates 30 years of serving the Milwaukee area, recently rebranding as Stone Creek Coffee + Kitchen. The cafe’s evolution includes enhanced spaces, improved employee policies, and a commitment to sustainability as a certified B-Corp while nurturing community relationships.
Stone Creek Coffee, founded in December 1993 by Eric Resch in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, has celebrated a significant evolution over its thirty-year history in the specialty coffee sector. Originally established in the same year that the founders of Alterra (now known as Colectivo) initiated their coffee venture at a kiosk in Bayshore Mall, Stone Creek Coffee has carved out a unique presence in the Milwaukee area with a commitment to community, quality coffee, and sustainability.
After serving the local community for 27 years, the original Whitefish Bay café closed its doors in spring 2021. However, the business re-emerged in 2023 as Stone Creek Coffee + Kitchen, featuring significant enhancements including a larger space and a refreshed menu. Resch expressed his pride in the establishment’s three-decade journey, stating, “I am proud of the work we have done in the last 27 years, and I know that the cycles of life (or a café) are simply that, cycles.”
Resch continues to lead the company alongside his wife, Melissa Perez, and a team of eight employee co-owners, all of whom share a commitment to furthering Stone Creek’s mission of providing exceptional coffee while maintaining a focus on the human aspects of business. The café chain has expanded to include 12 locations in the greater Milwaukee area, adapting to an ever-evolving coffee landscape that has seen the emergence of numerous roasters and coffee shops.
Stone Creek Coffee was originally founded under the business name Giri Corp, a name derived from the concept of “giri,” central to the bushido code that emphasises loyalty and a commitment to community. Drew Pond, Co-owner and Director of Development, commented on this foundational philosophy, stating, “From day one, Eric sought to create an environment where people could gather together, be themselves, create community and incite change.”
In recent years, Stone Creek has prioritised a people-centric approach to management, particularly in the aftermath of a 2019 union vote, where employees expressed their needs for better wages and working conditions. Although the vote resulted in a decision against unionisation, it prompted an ongoing dialogue about workplace culture and employee welfare. Pond described this moment as a “moment of reckoning,” prompting management to shift their approach toward facilitating open communication and responsiveness to employee feedback.
As part of their commitment to improving workplace culture, Stone Creek has implemented several new policies: employee satisfaction surveys, performance reviews, and wellness provisions have been introduced to enhance the working environment. Additionally, they have extended co-ownership opportunities to employees who have shown investment in the business’s success, further empowering them within the organisation.
An emphasis on social responsibility continues as Stone Creek has positioned itself as a Benefit Corporation, receiving full B-Corp certification in early 2022. This certification underlines their commitment to high social and environmental standards. Pond explained, “For us, that was about creating clear standards and accountability for ourselves in areas that impact our employees, community, customers and suppliers.”
The company’s sustainability efforts have seen impressive initiatives, such as sourcing 94% of their café energy from local wind farms and partnering with Compost Crusader, resulting in the diversion of over 150,000 pounds of coffee waste from landfills through composting. Stone Creek sources a large portion of its other purchases locally, ensuring that when possible, they buy from partners within a 100-mile radius.
As a farm-to-cup specialist, Stone Creek strives to establish long-term partnerships with coffee producers, with a focus on direct pricing commitments that facilitate greater economic stability for the growers. Currently, more than 86% of their coffee is sourced through such partnerships, which aim to support small producers and enhance overall sustainability in coffee sourcing.
With a commitment to continual improvement, Stone Creek Coffee intends to balance quality product offerings with a company culture that values relationships and accountability. Pond reiterated this philosophy, stating, “We want to create sustainability for our business in an industry that simply wasn’t built to be sustainable.” As Stone Creek navigates these complexities, it aims to remain a viable and responsible entity in the coffee industry for years to come.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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