Photo by Brandon AlmsRand, Sandy and Nicolas Milone with Wendy Secreto Shields in front of their small-batch roaster.
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People
The Coffee Connoiseuers Behind Foxen Coffee
Foxen Coffee owners Rand, Sandy and Nicolas Milone may be fairly new to southwest Missouri, but the family’s industry history fills a much larger cup.
by Jennifer Johnmeyer
Jan 2026
Local coffee lovers may be in the know, but for everyone else: Foxen Coffee is one to add to your personal coffee trail. The Monett-based company was launched in 2022 by President Rand Milone. His wife, Sandy, handles sales and PR, and his son Nicolas (Nico) is CEO.
This venture was nothing new for these industry veterans. Rand and his brothers began roasting coffee in Modesto, California, in 1988. They opened retail roastery Plantation Coffee Company, which later morphed into wholesale operation Milone Brothers Coffee (currently run by oldest Milone brother, Joe).
The family’s next coffee company, Tuscany Espresso Italia, opened when Nico was in high school. “We were in a commercial area,” Nico says. “They didn’t like the smell of coffee, so I had to roast all night, eating coffee beans out of the roaster to stay awake.”
Rand had planned to train his son on running the business after he and Sandy moved on to their next chapter in Missouri. “We came here five years ago to retire, but the coffee industry was in our blood, so we started our third iteration,” Rand says. Nico soon joined them from San Diego.
The new venture has brought its share of challenges. Nico says the hard part was building a brand that differentiates them from competitors. “Another thing was our supply chain,” Nico says, citing inflation and recent issues with tariffs. “There’s huge volatility in the coffee market. We planned for tariffs in November 2024, developing direct relationships. I’ve shaken the hands of those growing our coffee.”
Despite the challenges, the Milones celebrate what’s to come. After 38 years, Rand says the family is still excited about what they can develop. Sandy says the family has begun producing an iced tea line for restaurant settings, including a black tea made with marigold flowers and rose petals. Another blend is their crimson red fruit tea, sold at The Table in Springfield.
“We’re still so impassioned,” Rand says. “You might think I’d get tired, but it’s really a fun business.” Foxen Coffee is available at Brown Derby, Gailey’s and LoveCraft Farms.
