EDGAR, Wis. (WSAW) – Everyone has their favorite brand or flavor of coffee, but one Edgar business has been mounting their caffeine campaign for a decade now.
Redwood St. Roasters has tasted success in Edgar and beyond.
“We have been so fortunate for great word of mouth,” Co-owner Amber Haemer said.
In a difficult market where flavor means everything, the small business is blended with five parts Wisconsin and a splash of Chile.
“I’ve not had anything that tastes that smooth,” Will Scharra from Edgar said.
“The guy has more skill than any coffee roaster I’ve ever met,” Martin Machtan from Stevens Point added.
“Never came to mind I’d be doing coffee,” Co-owner Francisco Guerrero said.
Francisco never thought he’d be in Wisconsin. Until he met Krystle in 2007, when she was interning at the winery he worked at.
Eight months later, they were married.
“I would’ve thought he was married because there I feel like a lot of people are together young. Married young,” Krystle said.
Francisco added, “The winery that I used to work got sold and they decided to stop production. That’s when Krystle said, ‘What about if we move to Wisconsin?’ I was like, ‘Why not? Let’s go to Wisconsin.’”
Four grinding years later, the idea of a coffee company was served up.
“You know what? This is very similar to making wine. We have to develop flavors. We have to work a little bit with the chemical process of developing those flavors, and we have to find a way to brew it,” Francisco said.
“It’s fun to experiment,” Haemer said. “There’s times when all that doesn’t work, but then there’s times this is really good.’”
Three sisters and their husbands. Six people. One ‘brew-tiful’ family business.
“We are all in different stages of our lives, where we all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas and I think that’s what works,” Krystle said.
Coffee is Francisco’s part-time job. He works full-time for the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service. He helps the Hispanic community understand and navigate health insurance.
“If you can break the language barrier, you’re moving forward,” he said.
“Sees that it’s a little bit harder coming into a new country, maybe, too, that he sees ‘Oh, I can help them,’” Krystle added.
A quality ingrained into the Guerrero kids growing up in Chile. Knowing he helps the less fortunate is what makes Luis a proud papa.
“I get emotional because of the way they are,” Francisco’s dad Luis Guerrero Vidal said. “I feel the work we did raising them, I feel that we did a good job.”
No doubt about it, he’s not your average Joe. Ten years of Redwood St. Roasters down, and a ‘latte’ more to go.
“We just love getting that feedback when someone takes the first sip, and they’re like, ‘Wow! This is really good,’” Amber said.
Francisco adds, “All communities need to support their local businesses because ultimately the investment you do in the local business stays within your community.”
You Know You’re From…Edgar
Their most popular drink is their maple cinnamon nitro coffee. It’s cinnamon infused with maple syrup from Stevens Point.
They import their beans from places like Guatemala, Brazil, Costa Rica and the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia.
If you have an idea for the next ‘You Know You’re From’, email Dale at dale.ryman@wsaw.com.
Copyright 2025 WSAW. All rights reserved.