Show Notes
Sometimes you just have to be willing to follow your passions and lean into what you don’t know. When Stacy Ward-Lattin and her husband, Torrey, started the Hopping Gnome taproom 6 years ago, they had no idea the adventure they were in for. Stacy joins hosts Don and Ebony to share the Hopping Gnome story, from home brewing to deciding to create something brand new in Wichita. On this episode we discuss:
- The upcoming 6th anniversary celebration of Hopping Gnome
- Home brewing competitions
- Touring the taproom scene in Colorado
- Wanting to build something in Wichita and help the community
- Being a cheerleader for activities and events around town
- Starting a business with zero business background
- Overcoming the fear of talking about their business idea to get support from others
- Coming up with the right name and location
- Relationships with other local brewers in Wichita
- The reason they used Kickstarter to help launch
- New partnership with WSU Tech
- Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic by getting creative and working with the Kansas legislature
- Ceiling Breakers Podcast
- All the great things women are doing in the Wichita community
- Growing new relationships
- Supporting local artists
Learn more about Hopping Gnome:
Torrey Lattin started home brewing over 6 years ago, and after a couple of years decided to work on a business plan in order to help grow the number of breweries in Wichita. At the time, there were only two brewery/restaurants in the area, and after traveling to Colorado and visiting the small and unique taprooms there, Torrey and his wife Stacy decided this concept would be something fresh and new in Wichita, KS.
They decided on a small taproom with a 5 BBL brewing system and distribution plan rather than a restaurant in order to create a beer-focused atmosphere, where friends can get together and play games, order in a pizza, and hang out like it’s your friend’s house (except you have to pay for the beer...we’re trying to run a business here).
The couple had several names in mind, but most were already taken or too similar to other established breweries across the US. One night, Torrey was having a beer at home, and noticed a give-away from the 2012 Kansas City Royals All Star game that was a little gnome. He ran upstairs and said “how about Hopping Gnome? You know like hops, and gnomes are known for drinking.”
The name stuck and after finding a local graphic designer to create the awesome logo, Hopping Gnome Brewing Company was born.
Located in the up-and-coming Douglas Design District, Hopping Gnome Brewing Company joined the growing craft beer community as the first taproom in Wichita, KS.
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