The new Wagga cafe where 10 seconds is enough to make someone's day

"First-ever customer, 5.30 in the morning, a homeless man walks in, that's my first guy," Mr Rendell said.

"He was asking for a free coffee.

"It's one of those moments where it's like, 'OK, you just strived for four months to get here, but isn't this why you started in the first place?'."

The Wagga local launched his new business Makers Coffee House on April 30 and was flat out all day.

The new cafe is in the lobby of five-star St Hugh Hotel, which opened on Forsyth Street in January 2024.

Mr Rendell is a long-time barista and believes his new cafe gives him the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives, even in the smallest of interactions.

"Broken people walk through the doors every day and there's this opportunity that you have with people," he said.

"A small 10-second interaction that you have with them to try and shift and change their day. As human beings, why not have a crack."

If we could create a business that has people empowering and encouraging people, imagine the kind of society that we could live in with that kind of culture, it just makes me excited, I really want to make a difference.

"Helping people, I don't know if there's any greater thing."

The cafe's coffee beans are from Artisti Coffee Roasters, a Coffs Harbour brand where Mr Rendell began his barista career, and it also sells bakery goods and treats.

Customers can sit inside or out on the street.

Already looking ahead, Mr Rendell has big plans for his cafe.

"I really want to make a place where you've got people who do textiles, clay makers, woodworkers, people who have small businesses that need a helping hand to lift off," Mr Rendell said.

"You know that old saying, be the person who you needed when you were growing up."

When it comes to coffee, Mr Rendell is a self-confessed snob and says the secret to a great cuppa is attention to detail.

"I used to be a tradie, and I used to drink a cap with two sugars from Maccas," he said.

"I like to focus on doing really good coffee."

Makers Coffee House is open Tuesday - Saturday 6am to 4pm.