What's in a Name?
There’s a wonderful story behind the naming of Ancora Coffee Roasters. We have that information and lots more Ancora facts at Good to Know.
The Ancora Story
Ancora Coffee Roasters was born on a sunny June morning in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. After years of preparation, the first Ancora Coffeehouse opened for business just down the block from the historic state capital. There was co-founder George Krug roasting the beans on the Probat roaster and behind the espresso bar stood co-founder Sue Krug ready to pull a perfect shot. The first customer ventured inside the cafe and ordered. “It was an orange juice!” laughed Sue. “Our very first customer ordered a bottle of juice. Luckily, the next customer and all the ones after that were interested more in the coffee than our juice menu."
George and Sue launched their dream business after mentoring with coffee roasters and industry professionals in Seattle. The husband and wife had enjoyed successful business careers in the Seattle area and wanted to build a business together based on their mutual passion for Specialty Coffee. “We had a vision to create a company together that would enrich lives with a new and exciting product but also would educate people with the story behind the coffee,” said George. “Plus we wanted to build a business to reflect our values and personal sense of responsibility to our community,” added Sue who noted Ancora operates firmly from its original Vision and Core Values.
Today Ancora Coffee Roasters has grown to include three Madison-area coffeehouses plus a college kiosk. There are now two independently owned and operated Ancora cafes and Ancora coffee is proudly served at hundreds of independent coffeehouses and fine restaurants across the nation. The company’s mission remains unchanged...George and Sue want to share with you their unwavering commitment to handcrafting the finest Small Batch Artisan Roasted® coffees and providing personable and expert customer service.