Marissa and Travis Tidd started their company, Hand Craft Coffee Co, out of a food truck in 2017, serving coffee and pastries in the Sparks area. They opened their permanent location on Wells avenue in January of 2022, and pride themselves on connecting with the community and providing a comfortable space for customers.
Along with coffee, they serve pastries, breakfast sandwiches and bagels, also providing free WIFI to those who sit in the plant-filled space. Hand Craft Coffee employs about 14 people, with owners Marissa and Travis working alongside their staff almost every day.
“To me, coffee is about connection and people and food and family. That's always something that we've done growing up is kind of get together at coffee shops,” said Marissa Tidd. “I also have always worked in the service industry, so that's kind of where that started, is coffee and creating a space for people to be together.”
Owners Marissa and Travis Tidd pose inside Hand Craft Coffee Co, located on the corner of Wells and Ryland Street in downtown Reno. Left photo by Sydney Peerman. Right photo provided.
The transition from food truck to a permanent space was a welcome one, according to Tidd, as she noted the difficulties of operating a food truck. “That industry is extremely hard because I think people forget that you have to set it up and take it down every time you use it. So it's really refreshing to be in a building where that kind of obstacle was taken out,” she said.
The building that Hand Craft Coffee leases out of has about 13 suites with other local businesses, which was another initial selling point for the couple as they make it their priority to incorporate as many other local vendors into their store as they can. Dorinda’s Chocolates, a vendor who makes their chocolate in the same building, is one of the businesses that Hand Craft Coffee has partnered with.
“I'm from Nevada, and it's really important for me to create connections with other people and keep jobs in Reno,” said Tidd. The couple also sells Mother of Macros doughnuts and decorates their space with plants from Sierra Water Gardens, additionally selling pastries from other small bakeries in the area. They currently get their coffee beans from Magpie Coffee Roasters, another coffee shop on Wells, who makes a special blend for Hand Craft.
Collectibles are also on sale in a space decorated with plants. Photo by Sydney Peerman.
Hand Craft Coffee’s most popular drink is vanilla lattes and they have become well known for their creative latte art. “This customer came in the other day and was like, ‘I really want latte art in my drink.’ It's fun to just be creative, and of course, not every drink is perfect, but that's the art of it,” said Tidd. The coffee shop has seasonal menus, rotating the specials in and out to keep the menu interesting and different. One of their current drinks on the menu is called the Aloha, containing macadamia and white chocolate.
Another ideal aspect of their location in downtown Reno is the shared courtyard space with outdoor seating that the building provides. Tidd looks forward to the summer when they can have customers sit outside in the greenery and enjoy the space, additionally planning to introduce smoothies in their summer menu.
“We just focus on creating a great environment,” said Tidd. “Bringing great people in, meeting them and connecting with the customers, and making sure that people feel at home here.”