Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Hammer.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ryan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Kindred Coffee Roasters began in February of 2013, in a relatively quiet western suburb of Chicago called, quite appropriately, West Chicago, as an idea in the mind of a dedicated dilettante named Ryan Hammer. With experiences he had while working in coffee in the Oakland, San Francisco and Chicagoland areas, and with the radical collaborative partnership of his sister Sarah and brother-in-law Patrick, Kindred Coffee Roasters became something more than an idea, something more like an actual possibility, a way to bring excellent coffees to people in the hopes that folks might find their daily cups more delicious and interesting than ever before. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of friends in the community and around the world, Kindred Coffee Roasters became an ecstatic reality! We’ve always been committed to embracing and exploring greater possibilities of deliciousness, sustainability and fairness in our pursuit of unique, carefully roasted coffees, delivered to your home as close to day of roast as possible, and now, with our first cafe finally open, we hope to offer a space to the surrounding community that is as welcoming and as vibrant as the city we call home.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Finding our way to this moment has not been an easy road. While we’ve always supported one another, there have been moments where we weren’t quite sure what our future would look like. Through much soul searching over the years and many lessons learned, we’ve arrived at what feels like a hard-won new beginning, a place from which to grow beyond any conceptions for Kindred Coffee we’ve previously held.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We’re coffee roasters, baristas, bakers, creators, parents, and spouses. We run a specialty coffee shop. We roast and prepare the best coffee we can. We value great service. We like having fun and being goofy. We’re proud residents of West Chicago. We’re proud, most of all, to see Kindred Coffee becoming home to so many folks from so many diverse backgrounds.
What were you like growing up?
We’ve always been a quirky bunch. Infinitely curious about the world around us, about the experiences of others, with wildly varied interests in the arts, music, design and literature.
Contact Info:
- Address: 148 W. Washington St.
West Chicago, IL 60185 - Website: www.kindredcoffeeroasters.com
- Phone: 630-473-0657
- Email: kindred@kindredcoffeeroasters.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kindredcoffee
- Facebook: facebook.com/kindredcoffeeroasters
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
