“We will be determining the next steps of our transition,” Xanadu Coffee wrote in a post. “Going forward, Randall Denton is no longer involved in the operations of Xanadu Coffee or any of its affiliated businesses.”
Last March, Denton was caught in a sting by the Surprise police. He's a prominent figure in the local coffee scene, building a career supplying beans to local cafes before opening Xanadu in 2020.
Despite the company’s Instagram post, the level of his ongoing involvement in the shop remains unclear. Records from the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office show that Lofi Provisions LLC, of which Denton is the statutory agent, purchased the property Xanadu has been renting earlier this year. The parcel has a value of $2 million. Notably, Xanadu’s post did not say he no longer has an ownership stake in the company.
Xanadu Coffee did not respond to a request for comment about Denton’s involvement.
In its announcement, the company said it is “prepared to continue operations as an employee-owned and operated company,” but needs time to process the news and next steps. As recently as 2022, Denton discussed on the company’s blog — which has since been scrubbed — that Xanadu was exploring a program to allow employees to build equity in the company.
After his sentencing on Wednesday, Denton attorney Belen Olmendo Guerra said she couldn’t comment on who would be taking over the business while Denton is in prison. Jessica Bueno, Denton’s former co-owner who left the business in 2022, didn’t respond to New Times request for comment.
According to the shop's Instagram post, there were “significant details of the case which members of our staff were unaware of.”
The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday that Xanadu baristas and employees had been informed about the news and that staff had already taken over day-to-day operations.
"At this time, we ask that you please respect the privacy & safety of our employees, none of whom knew the full extent of the allegations against Mr. Denton until his sentencing,” the post read. “Please, please refrain from directing your anger towards them.”
