Join us for a fireside chat with Torrey Lattin and Stacy Ward Lattin, founders of Hopping Gnome Brewing Company — a Wichita craft brewery that has grown from a homebrewing hobby into a staple of the community.

The idea for Hopping Gnome began after Torrey took up homebrewing and the couple visited small craft brewery taprooms while traveling in Colorado. Inspired by the relaxed, neighborhood atmosphere they experienced, Torrey and Stacy set out to bring a similar concept to Wichita. In 2015, they opened Hopping Gnome's original 700-square-foot taproom on East Douglas, starting with a five-barrel brewing system and a vision for a small, welcoming place where people could gather over locally brewed beer.

The response quickly exceeded their expectations. What was originally envisioned as a small taproom with a larger focus on distributing beer to local bars and restaurants instead became a destination of its own. As Hopping Gnome grew alongside Wichita's craft beer scene, the couple eventually outgrew their original space. In 2023, they opened a significantly larger taproom and beer garden just behind the original location, giving the brewery more room for customers, events and community gatherings while continuing to brew in the original Douglas Avenue space.

Today, Torrey serves as Co-Owner and Head Brewer, while Stacy serves as Co-Owner and helps lead the business and community side of Hopping Gnome. Together, they've built the brewery around local partnerships, community involvement and the neighborhood feel that inspired the business from the beginning — creating a distinctly Wichita entrepreneurial story that is now more than a decade in the making.

The conversation will be led by Jordan Torres, a Wichita State alum and native Wichitan who spent nearly a decade in public service helping businesses navigate the City of Wichita’s licensing processes before joining FirePoint Innovations. A natural connector with a curiosity for people’s stories, Jordan will guide the conversation as Torrey and Stacy share their journey of starting Hopping Gnome, growing the business, and navigating the ups and downs along the way.