Fennell and his business partner, Jennifer Chinn, will open Fenn Coffee at 2074 Broadway St., where Revere Coffee & Tea recently closed. He has closed the Willows Market location to work on the new one.
Max Fennell makes pour-over coffee inside The Willows Market in Menlo Park. Photo courtesy Max Fennell.
With more space in Redwood City, there will be not just coffee roasted on site using a zero-emissions roaster but also food served throughout the day. The menu will include chicken and waffles made from Fennel's mother's recipe; they're also looking into offering a vegan version.
"We want to remain mindful of the quality of the ingredients and where we source our food, just like we do for our coffee," Fennell said. "For our coffee beans, this means sourcing them from ethical farms, always fair trade and, when possible, organic and women owned."
At night, the cafe will become a bar, serving beer and wine.
Fennell started a small batch coffee roasting company to develop coffee drinks to fuel endurance athletes during races "without the effects on your stomach that might come from pre workout or your run-of-the-mill coffee," the company website reads. (He likes to drink the company's cold-brew double espresso shots on hours-long bike rides.)
Fennell was featured in The New York Times in 2017 as the only African-American professional triathlete.
He hopes to be open in Redwood City by the end of January.
