EVP Coffee’s founder Tracy Danner wasn’t always a coffee roaster & cafe owner; her first career was in substance abuse counseling in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. When she was looking to transition from her counseling job due to burnout, she asked herself, “How can I serve my community in a meaningful way, but in a less stressful environment?” It was during this transitional period that EVP Coffee was born.

Tracy returned to Madison, where she had attended college, and opened her first EVP location in October 1997. From the beginning, Tracy wanted her cafes to be warm & welcoming gathering spaces for the community. “For me, EVP goes beyond producing and serving coffee- it’s about truly valuing people and creating a business that has love and kindness as its central focus,” Tracy says. You can find her coffee beans at all three Co-op locations and at her four Madison cafes.

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Tracy Danner sitting in a comfy chair

 

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