St. Cloud-Area Coffee Roaster Eminent Coffee Closes After Three Years in Business

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI

Feb 4, 2026 | 4:13 PM

Eminent Coffee Roasters Facebook

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud-area coffee roaster has closed after more than three years in business, with owner Josh Kaeter posting on the company’s website that he’s made the difficult decision to shut down operations and focus on his family.

Eminent Coffee opened its roasting facility in June 2022 at 331 4th Avenue South in Sartell and a cafe at The House Food and Tap in St. Joseph in March 2025. Both ceased operations on December 31st.

Kaeter, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, founded Eminent Coffee Roasters after his military service. After leaving the Marines, Kaeter worked at a coffee roaster and learned the craft of roasting beans. When he returned to Minnesota, he started roasting coffee in his garage before selling everything he owned to launch his business.

But challenges emerged. In November, Eminent announced it would eliminate its full food menu to refocus on coffee and combat rising costs. “It took a huge focus off what we are about at our core, and that is the COFFEE. Not to mention the ever rising cost of absolutely everything,” the November announcement stated.

Despite the struggles, Kaeter expressed deep gratitude for the community’s support. “This journey has been filled with early mornings, late nights, meaningful relationships, and a community that supported us far beyond what we could have imagined,” he wrote. “We are deeply grateful to every customer, wholesale partner, collaborator, and friend who believed in what we were building and shared in our love for great coffee.”

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