Our Story.
BHCC Beginnings.
Barrel House Coffee Company was founded by two couples, James and Nicole Howard and Ryan and Katie Turnage. Working out of the Howard’s garage, we combined our love for bourbon and coffee by placing unroasted coffee beans into freshly dumped bourbon barrels. After some trial and error, the barrel-aging process was defined and ready to share with friends and family. Shortly after, we gained a large enough following while selling our beans at the Canton Farmer’s Market in downtown Canton, Georgia. We officially opened our doors to the public December 8, 2018 after months of building and preparation.
Barrel House Coffee Company is now owned and operated by Ryan and Katie Turnage. They both have degrees in Business Administration and Business Management, but more importantly they have a love for their community and a passion for excellent customer service.
“We strive every day to get better at delivering the highest quality coffee, not only in the North Georgia area but the entire state. We are surrounded by the greatest community in Ball Ground and could not imagine ourselves anywhere else! ”
Who are Ryan and Katie Turnage?
Ryan Turnage was raised in Irmo, South Carolina and graduated from Dutch Fork High School. Shortly after graduating, he joined the United States Marine Corps as a Combat Correspondent (Private Joker for anyone who has seen “Full Metal Jacket”). While stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Ryan volunteered to deploy with Regimental Combat Team 6, 6th Marine Corps Regiment to Camp Ramadi, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Feeling the urge to continue serving his country, Ryan reenlisted and was given orders to Marine Corps Recruiting Station Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Once Katie joined him there, he knew his life would change forever. The two were married in December 2012 and he exited the Marine Corps in 2013. He immediately began his undergraduate studies at Kennesaw State University on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Finishing his Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management in record time and graduating Magna Cum Laude, he was hungry for more. Ryan immediately began preparing for graduate school and was accepted to Kennesaw State University where he graduated just one year later in July 2018 with a Master of Business Administration. Just one month later, he helped found Barrel House Coffee Company.
Katie (Henry) Turnage was raised in Woodstock, Georgia and graduated from Sequoyah High School. She began her undergraduate studies at Kennesaw State University until she met her now husband, Ryan. She transferred to Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana to build on an already strong relationship with Ryan while he was stationed there in the Marine Corps. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Business Management. After building her skills in the banking and healthcare industry, she decided to focus her efforts locally on the coffee shop.
Katie and Ryan celebrated the birth of their first child, Luke, in January 2020. The three live on a small horse farm just a few miles from downtown Ball Ground. When not working at the shop or creating more efficient processes, Katie, Ryan and Luke enjoy walking the downtown sidewalks, shopping and eating local, and simply sitting on their front porch overlooking the horse pasture while drinking their favorite coffee.