Ryan

At a Glance with Ryan Dennhardt

Name: Ryan Dennhardt
Age: 27
Hometown: Grand Island, Nebraska
When Did you start to work in and around coffee shops?
I remember, I was asked to join the family on December 15, 2001. At the time, I was just doing the normal college thing, but not really going anywhere with it.

How did you come to actually start brewing?
I just progressed. Even though it was a family business, I didn’t get any extra help-I started at the bottom for sure! (laughs) I just started taking on different responsibilities and roles as people would on-hey, can I try this?’ There were no family gifts for sure!

Was there a moment where it really hit you that being a barista was for you?
[pauses] You know, it was in 2003, when we switched [equipment] to Lamarzocco. It dawned on me that this was a craft, that I held the entire process in my hand from start to finish. It became something I could really take pride in. I was part of something to people. Customer were happy with our work prior, but they really started taking notice, I really developed a connection with them that I value to this day.