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 six years ago, they had no idea the adventure they were in for. Stacy joins co-hosts Don Sherman and Ebony Clemons-Ajibolade to share the Hopping Gnome story, from home brewing to deciding to create something brand new in Wichita in an effort to enhance the community.
Torrey Lattin started home brewing in 2010, 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, because at the time there were only two other breweries in town. They did not have any business experience, but that did not stop them. They began to work on a business plan by tapping into local business resources like the SBA and eventually, Hopping Gnome was born.
They decided on a small taproom with a 5 BBL brewing system and a distribution plan, rather than a restaurant in order to create a beer-focused atmosphere where friends could 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.” A local graphic designer helped them come up with the logo and this year, they are excited to celebrate their 6th anniversary!
Hopping Gnome Brewing
1710 E. Douglas Avenue
Wichita, KS 67214
(316) 771-2110
Chamber member since 2017
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:
Listen on popular podcast directories and aggregators, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pandora, and ICT Podcast Network or using the player above. Send feedback on this show and/or suggestions for future guests or topics by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or emailing communications@wichitachamber.org.
Preview:
Join the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce!
Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator is a weekly podcast devoted to supporting and learning from area business owners. Released every Wednesday, it's produced by Forge Podcast Co, managed by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Evergy.
Learn more about this podcast series by visiting our January 7 blog post.
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