Angry Swede and St. Joe Cookie Company combining

By Kendra Simpson

The Angry Swede will be undergoing a sweet transformation in the coming months, combining with another local business to bring beer and brunch to Downtown under a new name.

Janaha and John Anderson, co-owners of the St. Joe Cookie Company, will officially be taking over The Angry Swede in early June after purchasing the business, which went on the market in January.

The businesses will combine at The Angry Swede’s current location under the new name, “The Provident,” in honor of the building’s past life as The Provident Savings and Loan in the 1920s.

“We already are doing brunch at our place and we have our liquor license,” said Janaha Anderson. “I got to thinking about it, and we are frequent visitors of the Angry Swede and we love the environment and the beer here. We’re great friends with Mike (the owner of the Angry Swede), so why not combine the two businesses and see what happens?”

St. Joseph residents can expect cosmetic changes to the business, including new flooring, a clear garage door behind the brewing station and new furniture. The same beer brewed by Michael Olinger, brunch and speakeasy will all be incorporated into the business venture. Customers can expect the same hours as the brewery.

The original location of the cookie company on Fredrick Avenue will no longer be in operation. The Andersons said what they are most excited about with the move was declaring their spot in Downtown St. Joseph.

“I think the opportunity to invest into Downtown, you know, stop renting … or leasing a building and actually begin to have some ownership and some property here again is, you know, exciting,” John Anderson said. “There’s a lot happening Downtown so we feel like we got a good foothold here and we can really add a lot of value.”