Conversation created through cups of coffee, this is the foundation laid out by Patrick McGinnis, owner of Breathe Coffee House.

McGinnis always felt called towards making change, working in ministry he took on many different roles throughout Hays. After graduating from Fort Hays with a sociology degree, McGinnis had goals to teach, work in leadership and develop communities. The horizon was lined with different paths to explore, and explore he did.

At Ohio State, he began post graduate studies in sociology, before coming back to Hays to take on leadership studies. From there, he began working in economic development where he realized his passion for customer service was growing.

“Working in college ministry really created that desire for me to work with people, get them to communicate and connect with one another,” McGinnis stated. “The consistency stretching back to college was that I believed in community and building relationships.”

When Downtown Hays announced plans to evolve their community impact, McGinnis was on board. As the initial manager and developer of Gellas, his vision for Breathe began. A project 12 years in the making found its first home on Main Street, Breathe Coffee House was open for business.

“I wasn’t just trying to make money or make decisions based on money, I didn’t want to have to answer to a board and find ways we could crank out another dollar-I wanted to be able to handle the mission of a business, with Breathe that mission was dialogue,” McGinnis added.

As President of Dialogue Ministries, McGinnis had created Breathe as a comfortable space to have uncomfortable conversations. He wanted to open an area that allowed people from different walks of life to have real, authentic conversations.

Located at 703 B Main Street, Breathe opened in what used to be the Brunswick Hotel. Ironically, McGinnis learned later on that down his family lineage, his grandmother had actually served coffee in that same building years ago.

Paying homage to the prior hotel, the interior of Breathe is filled with tabletops and menu boards designed from the original doors of the Brunswick.

Starting Breathe, McGinnis wanted to focus on the craft. With conversation as the main focus, their belief is that coffee and conversation go hand in hand; “Good coffee makes conversation flow easier and good conversation makes coffee taste even better,” as stated on their website.

“If I had my druthers we wouldn’t have a bar there to separate us so we encourage our staff to be out and engage with people as much as they can,” McGinnis shared.

Breathe is a third wave coffee house; first wave coffee houses represent brands such as Folgers, second wave represents chains like Starbucks. As a third wave shop, Breathe focuses on the craft of coffee, seeing it as a delicacy rather than just a means to get caffeine.

As they partner with farmers and other businesses, Breathe ensures that their missions and goals align. Most recently, Breathe has partnered with different businesses in Downtown Hays to support the community. They have also worked with Oddly Correct, a coffee experience out of Kansas City.

Joining forces, Breathe utilizes coffee beans from Oddly throughout their menu of basics, brews and bizzares. Initially, however, Breathe never claimed to be experts in coffee. It was a learning process, geared towards making people feel comfortable in their shop.

“We wanted to be sensitive to the fact that people might not know good coffee, so it’s important to train their palettes without being offensive,” McGinnis said.

Working with farmers on fair trade, focusing on the craft of creating quality coffee, McGinnis and his family invested their lives into the art of coffee.

“We didn’t want to be a snobby coffee house, we wanted to have a warm, welcoming atmosphere and we knew that would take time,” he added.

With his son Andrew as his go to guy, the pair worked together to create a menu that was easy to understand and exciting to get to know. Starting out with espresso, Breathe began creating signature items, unique to their coffee house. As they learned more about the craft, they began creating their own chai, different teas and flavor combinations.

“We named Breathe a coffee house and not a coffee shop because we wanted people to feel like it was a comfortable place they could come to, like their home, so the atmosphere is geared towards comfortability,” Andrew said. “People don’t have to change who they are, change what their life is about, they can come in and feel welcome.”

As Breathe gained a consistent customer base, they worked hard on projects to encourage kindness and conversation. Through different initiatives, Breathe centers their coffee house on the idea of thinking about others.

From the very beginning, Breathe has offered Coffee Club memberships. Community members pay a monthly fee, giving them access to handmade ceramic mugs they are able to fill with house brews and tea on each visit. The club was beneficial not only to customers, but to McGinnis as he established a committed group of people who were incentivized to come in and interact with one another.

“The thought was how do we get into the tough stuff, how do we get engaged in each other’s lives, we use coffee as a segway into those conversations,” McGinnis stated. “We wanted to get people out of that chain store mentality, that status symbol of ‘hey, here’s my $6 latte’, switch that to rather how can you use this coffee to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Another initiative McGinnis began was the Pay It Forward wall. Customers can come in and get their daily coffee fix, but are also encouraged to give back by buying an extra cup of coffee.

“It’s a way to change the perspective from getting people in and out of here as fast as possible with their caffeine fix, but ask them, ‘hey have you thought about other people today?’ You can buy an extra cup and put the note on the wall and help people to show that kindness and think about others,” McGinnis shared.

As Breathe gained attention in the public eye, their reach extended to people from out of state. As individuals traveled through Hays, they quickly became regulars as they made Breathe an essential part of their trip.

“There are tons of people that get off the highway and come here, Saturdays it probably about 50% of our business, when they’re going from KC to Denver, they make it a point to stop,” McGinnis stated. “We know them, we’ve reached them, they come in two times a year but they never miss it and we build those relationships with them.”

The customers quickly transition into friends, and are encouraged to do so based on the rapport of the staff working at Breathe. McGinnis shares that they aren’t just employees, they’re his friends and together they are a team.

The day of our interview, Breathe was closed down for maintenance and within the walls of the building all hands were on deck to make improvements for the community.

“It’s not just hyperbole, we have the best staff. We have people who are kind and considerate and believe in what we are doing,” he said.

The next goal for Breathe is to extend their mission of conversation into an on site counseling center. With the help of his dedicated family and staff, McGinnis has been able to go back to school while running the business.

In May, McGinnis will walk the state as he graduates from Fort Hays with his Masters in Social Work. After being licensed, the plan is to train staff to be available when the real conversations turn into a desire for professional guidance.

“This really will allow for people to get the help they need, with less stigma surrounding it, they can talk and when they feel that need they can find what they are looking for right there,” McGinnis added.

The success of Breathe, McGinnis fully attributes to the support of the Hays community. Throughout the pandemic, Breathe was able to maintain their customers through gift cards, delivery and curbside services.

While they couldn’t come together for community meals held every Sunday evening, Breathe was still able to reach their customers and provide them with that daily interaction, even if just for a few minutes.

As we sat chatting about the coffee house, McGinnis scrolled through online reviews of Breathe.

“It’s as rewarding as anything I’ve ever seen, knowing we accomplished what we set out to do, seeing people sitting here from all different walks of life able to have this connection that wasn’t available before is amazing,” McGinnis shared. “I wouldn’t do anything else, I feel like I am exactly where I was designed to be.”