Canton’s Wild Wolf Coffee takes roasting freshness to the next level

Coffee has evolved into much more than an every-morning kick-starter for Canton resident Chad Schwartzenberger.

Since launching Wild Wolf Coffee in 2021 out of his office space inside Canton’s Village Arts Factory, Schwartzenberger has combined his passion for consuming the beverage and roasting small batches of hand-crafted coffee to the next level — one cup at a time.

“Coffee roasting is a lot like making craft beers and whiskeys,” Schwartzenberger shared. “I’m able to control the taste of every batch I make. It’s fun coming up with a new blend and getting positive feedback from people who try it.”

Trip ‘Up North’ inspired business

The inspiration for Wild Wolf Coffee was born during a 2019 Schwartzenberger family vacation to Munising, Michigan.

“We walked into this coffee shop and there were amazing nature photos on the wall,” Schwartzenberger recounted. “The atmosphere was off-the-charts. For many coffee drinkers (there are an estimated 150 million in the U.S. who drink an average of three cups a day), coffee isn’t just something to get their day going, it’s a social experience as well.

“I love coffee and I love photography (Schwartzenberger is an award-winning cinematographer and photographer for NFL Films and ESPN, among other media outlets), so when I walked into this shop, I thought, ‘Opening a place like this in Canton would be pretty cool’.”

Schwartzenberger purchased a small stove roaster and started experimenting with different combinations of beans, all of which he orders from the top coffee bean growing farms in the world.

Schwartzenberger would meticulously record all of the detailed combinations he created in a hand-written journal; although he has since moved on to registering the recipes into a high-tech computer application that allows him to precisely replicate each blend.

Fresh is fabulous

“After about a year of roasting and letting people try samples, they’d tell me, ‘Hey, this is pretty good’,” he said. “Most coffee drinkers can tell a cup of Folger’s from a cup brewed from freshly-roasted beans — and almost 100% of them will tell you they prefer the taste of the fresh-roasted coffee.”

Just as Schwartzenberger’s plans to launch Wild Wolf Coffee gained serious traction, the COVID-19 epidemic hit, delaying the opening to 2021.

Schwartzenberger said what started as a cool hobby evolved into creating an LLC and growing his brand by offering samples at Canton community events, where positive comments were flowing in.

Each of Schwartzenberger’s recipes is placed into a category — dark roast, light roast, medium roast and signature blend, to name four — and sealed inside eye-pleasing, air-tight packets that bear each blend’s name — from Tranquil Woodlands to Glistening Meadows.

“It’s almost as much fun coming up with names as it is creating new blends,” Schwartzenberger said smiling. “The name of each blend has a nature theme to it, which our customers seem to enjoy.”

Wild Wolf Coffee’s next step, its founder revealed, is expanding into local grocery stores and coffee shops.

“I’m also planning on purchasing a Wild Wolf Coffee trailer that I can take to community events throughout Cherry Hill Village, Canton and surrounding communities,” Schwartzenberger said.

Schwartzenberger’s top-shelf product is mirrored by his difficult-to-hide enthusiasm for creating an elite brand of beverage.

“I had a friend of mine design a logo that blends the image of a wolf with a cup of coffee,” he said.

“This is a long-term venture for me — something I can do once my legs won’t let me run up and down football fields any more.”

Wild Wolf’s customers appreciate how Schwartzenberger goes to great lengths to provide them with a memorable coffee-drinking experience.

“It’s going well,” he said. “I recently set out about 10 bags of my coffee at a couple farmers’ markets and they were sold incredibly fast, which tells me there’s a market for upscale coffee.

Brewing up growth

“Ultimately, I’d like to get Wild Wolf Coffee into stores like Westborn Market and Picnic Basket. There’s a lot of potential here.”

Schwartzenberger said drinking fresh-roasted coffee compared to brands like Folger’s is comparable to drinking a superb craft beer and a Bud Light.

“Once you start drinking fresh-roasted coffee, you will understand what coffee should taste like,” he emphasized.

To learn more about Wild Wolf Coffee and to order a batch or 10, visit its website by clicking here.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.