Growing up, Dan’s family ran "Wooden Heart," a beloved wooden toy shop in Galway. His passion for music led him to study and perform in Berlin, Cuba, and London before he eventually returned home to take over the family toy shop. Later, he expanded his creative vision by opening a second shop—Coffeewerk + Press.
This autumn, we collaborated with Dan to develop our new print series, Woodland Treasures, now featured as artwork on his coffee range at Coffeewerk and Press this winter.
During a recent visit to Dan’s home on The Long Walk in Galway, he served us some warm apple crumble and graciously allowed us to use his home to photograph our new print range. Later we sat down to chat, we spoke about the value of small, independent, family-run businesses, the balance of creativity and commerce, how his German heritage shapes his design aesthetic, and the vital role of community. He also shared some of his top sources of inspiration.
Wooden Heart is a much-loved toy shop in Galway, established by your parents in the 1970s. What was it like growing up with a toy shop in the family?
The toy shop was our family business growing up, and it was a really big part of my upbringing. My parents started the business 45 years ago. They were the first traditional wooden toy importers from Germany into Ireland. I understood that my parents always wanted to do something with purpose and we were all very proud of what we were doing.
We were all involved from a young age so Wooden Heart was a really big part of my upbringing and a big part of our identity. I remember opening the shop on Quay Street in Galway on Saturday mornings, sweeping the street outside with my brothers. Later, when we had all left home, we would always come back to work in the shop at Christmas because it was always such a busy time.
You took over the running of Wooden Heart 15 years ago - how did that come about?
In 2008, just as the recession hit Ireland, my father fell ill. It was intense and quite shocking—it felt like our world stopped for a moment. Thankfully, my father made a full recovery, but I realized afterward how overwhelmed my parents had been by the experience.
At that point in my life, I was feeling a bit homesick and considering a return to Ireland. I saw an opportunity to take on the challenge of managing Wooden Heart and stepped into the role.
And what was that like?
It was difficult. It took me a few years to find my feet with the shop and step into the role fully. I had to invest a lot of time and energy into making it work. Before coming home, I had been living and working in London, and then suddenly I was back in Galway. It was a big adjustment. It took me about two years to feel settled and to think, okay, this is now my business.
It’s been 15 years since I moved back to Galway. We receive so many kind words about the shop, which means a lot. In the past five years, I’ve seen many wonderful shops in Galway close—shops filled with knowledge and character. They were truly special. The main reason is that the next generation isn’t taking them over. I feel exceptionally proud that Wooden Heart is still here, and that we’ve kept it alive.
Why did you then decide to start CoffeeWerk + Press?
When the recession hit, Wooden Heart faced great difficulties, as everyone did. Sales collapsed almost overnight. But over time, I managed to rebuild and grow Wooden Heart in a really healthy way. I think that experience gave me the confidence to start something new—my own venture—which became CoffeeWerk + Press.
What is the idea behind CoffeeWerk + Press?
I had the concept for CoffeeWerk + Press in the back of my mind for some time. My main goal was to create a space where people would enjoy visiting and exploring.
The toy shop has a clear structure; it’s really for children from birth up to around eight years old. To buy for that age group, you need to be a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. I wanted to create a kind of playground that wasn’t pigeonholed—it wasn’t just one thing or another.
I knew quite early on that I wanted to create my own space. I wanted to build a community and a warm environment where people could simply enjoy being. I wanted to fuse products and the stories behind them with the warmth of the space’s design.
The shop is called CoffeeWerk + Press—have you always been into speciality coffee?
Today, we are known for our coffee, but when I was starting out, my idea was that the coffee would be the vehicle—the reason why people would come in. From my experience with the toy shop, I knew that footfall is quite challenging for small independent shops. Footfall is not a given—you have to work exceptionally hard for it.
Speciality coffee was a huge learning curve—it’s exceptionally technical, which I never anticipated. But from my time in London and Berlin, I noticed the vibrancy that a coffee shop can bring to an area and the community you can build around it.
And “Werk + Press”?
There is an open-endedness to CoffeeWerk + Press that we never had with Wooden Heart. I had already set up the publishing company, but we can also host talks, focus on coffee, highlight design, and feature art. There are so many different areas we can explore. It’s not just one thing—it’s everything we want it to be.
We have a kind of buzz that’s different from what I had with Wooden Heart.
How has CoffeeWerk + Press evolved since you opened it?
The pandemic highlighted the community we’ve built. When we reopened, the response was overwhelming—people were in tears in the queue. It was just a cup of coffee, but it brought a sense of normality after six weeks of isolation.
As the pandemic went on, we remained open while others shut down. I knew how vital it was for those in our city who live isolated. For them, we were a daily stop, even for a brief interaction with the team.
Those small moments have a big impact, even if people don’t realise it. For many, a friendly smile from us was their only social interaction, and that matters.
I always knew we had a community, but it took a shock to make me truly see it. Our shop means so much to people. We’ve created a real, connected community.
How do you know when something is resonating with your customers?
You can just see it on people’s faces. For example, we hung the Superfolk exhibition in CoffeeWerk + Press on a Friday night, and the next morning I loved watching our regulars coming in and responding to it all.
In a way, it reminds me of playing music—interacting with the community, seeing what they think, and noticing the smiles on their faces. It’s special.
And that’s why I’m sometimes here at one o’clock in the morning—because I want the space to look and feel right for the people who come in. It’s not about me. If the lights aren’t right, if something feels off, I fix it—not for myself, but so that every customer who walks in feels something special. I’m particular about the details, both in the café and the toy shop. Everything has its place, its angle, because it all adds to the feeling we’re creating.
You know what... One of the biggest things people say about the toy shop is they walk out and say, “I’m so sorry, I don’t have any children, but I’ve loved the experience.” And they actually stop to tell you that—they don’t have to, but it really touches you.
In that moment, you realise it doesn’t matter if they’ve spent money or not—what we’re doing still means something.
Of course, making money matters—don’t get me wrong—but you don’t need to make millions. Economically, a toy shop is quite a challenge, but for all my family with Wooden Heart, and now with Coffeewerk and Press - we get so much love and appreciation. We get so much back from the community.
You’ve mentioned music as a way of connecting people. Where does this idea come from for you? Do you have early memories of concerts or music performances that made an impression on you?
I remember attending a concert by my drum teacher’s band. I’d seen live music before, but going to that concert had a profound impact on me. I realised that music was a way of connecting without talking, and there was an authenticity behind that.
Academics or sports never resonated with me, but with music, I found I could just express myself.
Why do you think music in particular resonated with you?
Well, I grew up in the west of Ireland, but because we were German and a bit alternative, it was sometimes difficult to fit in. Music helped me. When I played music, I could see that what I was doing resonated with others. It gave me a sense of self-worth and direction. It was a way of communicating and connecting with people.
My brothers, a few friends, and I started playing in a band when we were in our first or second year of secondary school. Later, music became something I pursued throughout my twenties. I was a drummer, a percussionist. I studied in Cuba, at the Jazz Conservatoire in Berlin, and later in London, where I eventually ended up working at the university where I studied.
All of that experience and learning still shapes what I do at CoffeeWerk + Press and Wooden Heart.
For me, business is creative—it’s like writing a song. You try something; you create something. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. You have an audience, and they let you know. It’s a dialogue, a conversation.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your aesthetic sense?
To be honest, when I created the café, I didn’t have much formal knowledge about “design.” Of course, now—ten years on—I’m definitely more educated, and design has become a huge passion of mine.
But for me, what was always important was creating a feeling. I wanted to create something really warm and inviting.
You mention this wanting this feeling of warmth in spaces. Tell me more about where this idea comes from …
If I really look back, I think that feeling of warmth comes from my childhood home. My family is from Berlin, and my parents always created our home’s aesthetic. We never had lots of money—it wasn’t like that—but we always had quality. My parents believed in investing in quality rather than quantity. And our home was always warm—not just in atmosphere, but literally warm.
I remember going to other children’s homes, and the houses always felt quite cool. Whether it was the lighting or just not having the heating on, there was this noticeable difference.I quickly realised, Oh, we live quite differently. It wasn’t about having anything special—it was just the sense of warmth of our home, the feeling it created.
You have really generously allowed us to photograph our new woodland treasures series of prints in your home. Will you tell us a little bit about creating your own home.
I was so happy when I created my own home, my own space. I didn’t realise how much it would give me, but it brings me so much happiness daily. Now, my home is an extension of me. I live quite minimally in what I have, but every piece I've collected tells a story. They all make me feel a certain way. Even my slippers, which I put on every day, are tiny pieces of happiness. It might sound cheesy, but it’s so special to me.
My house is really about creating a feeling—a feeling of warmth when I come in. It’s cosy. And lighting in my house is very important; I use a lot of candles. I feel very fortunate to be in a position where I can create that space for myself.
What is something that inspires you?
Recently, I’ve been thinking about how I’ve been working too much, and how my life has been revolving around these two businesses a little too much. This year, I’ve started to travel again—I managed to go on four trips … which is a lot for me. It takes a lot of discipline to do that, but travel really energizes me. Stepping outside of our own bubble and seeing what others are doing is really important. Since I’m so driven by feelings, I think it’s essential to experience new things. Travel inspires me, but it also helps me realise that I’m actually doing a great job. Sometimes, when I stay in my own bubble, I can be my worst critic, but when I step out into the world, I realise that... you know what ... we’re doing great!
Tell us a bit about Galway.
Galway, I honestly think, is amazing. When I moved back to Ireland from London, it took me a while to adjust, but now I wouldn’t change it for the world. We’re so fortunate—Galway is an incredible place.
I live on The Long Walk in Galway, so I wake up and look out over the ocean. It’s unbelievable. That’s exceptionally inspiring for me.
Galway is still small. On a Saturday, you can go to the market, see familiar faces, and just bump into people. There’s always support around. When I opened the café, the amount of support I received was amazing.
It’s a super easy little city—one of the nicest places in the world when the sun shines.
And outside of the city - is there anywhere that you like to go, that maybe other people might not be so familiar with?
Outside of the city, somewhere I love that people might not be aware of is Coole Park. I spent a lot of time there in my childhood, and I’ve kind of rediscovered it lately. I think it’s exceptionally special.
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Notes:
Visit Dan's family toy shop Wooden Heart
Visit Coffeewerk + Press
Our collaboration with Coffeewerk+ Press