Ice Cream and/or frozen dessert
Higher Grounds Coffee is a Traverse City-based specialty coffee roaster and Certified B Corporation rooted in a simple belief: “Great coffee comes from a world of good friends.” Since 2002, we have connected exceptional organic, Fair Trade coffee with a commitment to the people and communities behind every cup.
Our coffees range from approachable signature blends to distinctive single origins and full-flavored, water-processed decaf. We work closely with farmer partners to bring out each coffee’s character, combining roasting expertise with lasting relationships built on quality, trust, and shared opportunity.
As a co-owner of Cooperative Coffees, we source directly from smallholder farmer cooperatives, help pre-finance harvests, and pay above Fair Trade minimums. Producer contracts are published through FairTradeProof.org, making our sourcing transparent and traceable. Through our importing cooperative’s climate initiative, we contribute three cents per pound purchased to regenerative agriculture and climate resilience in coffee-growing communities.
Our commitment to community starts here in northern Michigan and reaches around the world. We invest in living-wage jobs, collaborate with local artists and musicians, and support a more inclusive local economy through our involvement in Commongrounds, Traverse City’s community-owned real estate cooperative. Our Coffee Learning Lab at Commongrounds offers a place to connect, learn, and deepen an appreciation for coffee.
Through On the Ground, the nonprofit we co-founded, we support water access, education, gender equity, and economic opportunity in farming communities, including women’s entrepreneurship and relief efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A Good Food Awards winner and three-time B Corp “Best for the World – Community” honoree, Higher Grounds brings together exceptional taste and a business model grounded in shared well-being. We serve coffee lovers and wholesale partners locally and nationwide, helping businesses offer coffee with a meaningful story and a positive impact.
Proudly rooted in Traverse City, we believe a thriving local business can help build stronger communities—from our northern Michigan neighbors to the farmers who make every cup possible.