Walter Morgen is a morning person in the truest sense. He's at the German Village Coffee Shop before the light changes, settled into the same general orbit near the counter, ready to greet whoever walks in next. He has a gift for making new faces feel like regulars and regulars feel like family.

Walter believes the best thing a neighborhood can do is make people feel like they belong — and he thinks that starts in the morning, over coffee, with someone who's genuinely glad to see you. He keeps a mental inventory of everyone's usual order and considers this a form of community service. It is, actually. The Coffee Shop is the kind of place that sets the tone for your whole day. Walter takes that responsibility seriously.