Who We Are
2023 has brought some changes at Brew Bank! Dusty has always been deeply passionate about education. His incredible talent as a teacher has opened up a lot of exciting avenues that he has decided to follow. Though Dusty has departed from Brew Bank, his mark on Brew Bank is indelible and we wish him nothing but success! As Dusty was exiting, Ryan made the decision to bring James Lucatero in as the new co-owner!
James originally hails from Santa Barbara, CA. He has worked in some of the best restaurants and bars in the Kansas City area where he honed his skills in custom cocktail creation as well as fine dining and high end cuisine such as, Fogo de Chão in Westport. He helped open Brew Bank in 2019 and gradually climbed the ranks from a bartender, to a manager, then bar manager and finally he became our GM. He is a staple at Brew Bank and has been a critical member of our team from day one! He is also a musician and a very prolific hip hop producer as well as a recording mixer and engineer and loves spending time with his family, friends and in his state of the art home studio.
Ryan continues trying to push the envelope that he and Dusty created. Brew Bank was always intended to be unique, cutting edge and ahead of its time. Every day isn't always easy but Ryan has always enjoyed a challenge. Whether he’s shooting a documentary, editing film, playing drums or owning and running a restaurant, he strives to grow and progress and loves working with those who push him to constantly improve. He loves spending time with his partner Lindsey and their two daughters as well as family and friends. Much to their chagrin, even at the age of 48, with two fake hips, he still skateboards as many days of the week as he can.
2018 - How it all Began
The founders of Brew Bank, Ryan Cavanaugh and Dusty Snethen’s connection to one another goes all the way back to middle school in Topeka, Kansas. They used to spend most of their time finding things to jump on, over or through with their skateboards.
They stayed friends through high school, but eventually went off to college and their separate ways. Ryan would take up acting and filmmaking in sunny California, while bartending, waiting tables, managing restaurants and brewing beer as a brewer’s apprentice. Dusty dabbled in surgical technology and would eventually become a teacher and earn a masters in administration and leadership.
Eventually fate would reconnect the friends as Dusty was searching for someone to help him start a new film club and summer film camp for kids in their hometown of Topeka. Ryan had recently moved back to Kansas and immediately volunteered for the opportunity and Dusty and Ryan were officially in business together.
The concept of Brew Bank would start to emerge as Ryan and Dusty spent more and more time searching for that ideal pub. Finally the two agreed if they couldn’t find a place with great Kansas brews and a community atmosphere, they decided they would just create it. A subsequent TopTank competition win of a $100,000 loan for their idea and changing the liquor law to allow self-serve taps, paved the way for Ryan and Dusty’s new business. Thus, Brew Bank was born.
