Rusty Dog Coffee

Ownership

Rusty Dog Coffee is locally owned and operated by Madison-area residents Tom Koren, Manny Figueroa, and Tony Bitner. Tom Koren founded Rusty Dog Coffee and has been small-batch roasting, making it an independent owner-operated business rather than corporate or franchise.

Local Sourcing

The business uses high quality, responsibly sourced, fresh coffee beans roasted in Wisconsin. However, coffee beans are sourced from co-ops located in Honduras, Colombia, Peru and Sumatra, indicating international sourcing that somewhat limits the fully-local designation.

Community Involvement

Rusty Dog donated 10% of online coffee sales to the United Way Dane County COVID-19 Emergency and Recovery Fund, and created a special 'Community Blend' for donation to first-responders and health care workers in the south central Wisconsin area. However, documented ongoing sponsorships or deep institutional ties to Madison nonprofits and schools are not evident in available sources.

Local Workforce

The three owners were working day jobs and raising families while roasting late at night and on weekends, indicating it was initially a small operation. No specific information about employee wages, benefits, or labor practice reviews is available in the sources searched.

Revenue Retention

Rusty Dog sells beans via rustydogcoffee.com and at local retailers including Miller and Sons, Jennifer Street Market and Bill's Food Center, with local distribution. As an independent Madison-based roaster, most revenue likely stays within the community, though some e-commerce sales extend beyond the region.

Local Presence

No website available to analyze.