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Wake Forest · United States

Black & White Coffee Roasters

Since 2017 · Kyle Ramage, Lem Butler

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Overview

Black & White was founded in 2017 in Wake Forest, North Carolina by back-to-back US Barista Champions Lem Butler (2016) and Kyle Ramage (2017), who acquired the existing two-cafe Back Alley Coffee Roasters operation. The company joined the FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective in 2025 as its 11th brand and first North Carolina roaster; Butler departed in early 2026, with Ramage continuing to lead operations.

Known for

  • Founded by consecutive US Barista Champions — Butler 2016, Ramage 2017
  • 'Exceptional coffee kept simple' philosophy — light-touch sweetness over showpiece complexity
  • 15kg Loring smart roaster at Wake Forest headquarters
  • Three NC locations plus RDU Airport Terminal 2 cafe (Gate C1)
  • FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective member since 2025

Why it matters

Black & White is the rare specialty roaster founded by two USBC champions in consecutive years, and one of the first North Carolina roasters to scale through the FairWave Collective acquisition model. Their approachability-first positioning — 'I don't want you to need an EK43 to drink our coffee' (Ramage) — distinguishes them from competition-driven peers like Onyx and Sey.

Production

head roaster
Kyle Ramage
roaster machine
15kg Loring smart roaster
cupping frequency
null
roastery location
Wake Forest, North Carolina
espresso equipment
La Marzocco Linea Classic, Mahlkönig Peak and EK43 grinders, Marco SP9 pourover system

Café

314 Brooks Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587

Recognitions

  • US Barista Champion — Lem Butler (2016)
  • US Barista Champion — Kyle Ramage (2017)
  • Sprudge Notable Roaster finalist

Sources

More roasters