Wake Up Iowa began roasting single origin coffees in 2011 by founder Jarrett Mitchell. In the beginning there was a parking lot and a coffee cart run by his friend Benji Hasen. Benji was the inventor of the fabled Velvet Hammer and when he moved on to greener pastures, an all smiles long-hair braided Mitchell served his first customers. The menu included coffee, espresso drinks–lest we forget his signature Goat Milk Latte–and homemade egg sandwiches. And on weekend nights, Mitchell infiltrated the local bar food scene by walking around with a backpack full of his delicious egg sandwiches, hawking just what the doctor ordered to hungry drunks.
Wake Up Iowa was influenced and grown to what it is today by the help of friends and family in and outside of Iowa. Joel and Katrina Anderson roasted and distributed with us from 2015-2022. They now own and operate their own coffee roastery and cafe in downtown Mount Vernon, Iowa. Check them out at Little Scratch Coffee Roasters!
Our success can be traced to the consistent support of the Iowa City community. Wake Up Iowa coffee can be found freshly brewed on menus all over town in Iowa City and regularly stocked at some groceries in eastern Iowa.
Cristin Mitchell joined the business in 2022, grew into her role, and largely managed the daily operations of the roastery until mid-2024. At that time, the couple took a leap of faith to move to Des Moines, widen opportunity, and open their first espresso bar and factory retail outlet. Cristin manages the brick and mortar in Des Moines while Jarrett oversees the roasting operation in Iowa City along with our head roaster Maggie Fodge. We really love what we do and are blessed to share the fruits of our labor with you.
MUCH LOVE
Jarrett, Cristin, and Cristin’s grandma Charleen pictured above.
When Cristin was young, her and Grandma Char would routinely cook and bake together, which they both loved. Char learned everything she knew from her father Ray who was a chef at the legendary Hotel Julien in Dubuque. Jarrett learned his love of cooking and food preparation from his mother Marjorie, a longtime home economics teacher in southeast Iowa.
We believe that a love of all things coffee stems from the initial love of experimenting and being in the kitchen. From sourcing coffee with the knowledge and understanding that informs our roasting profiles. To roasting coffee with the utmost focus, keen on its process. Then to brewing coffee with the tender care that ensures our high quality standards are being met. Finally, to creating perfectly flavored drinks for others to enjoy. It all begins and ends with love.