Damon Schmetzer kick started his career at TAFE NSW, following high school, where he graduated with a Certificate III in Hospitality and a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery in 2015.

Since then, the 23-year-old has worked in some of Sydney's most exclusive hatted restaurants and will bring that city slickness in his new role as head barista at the soon-to-open espresso and wine bar in Fitzmaurice Street, Meccanico.

"I'm really looking forward to it and it's going to be something Wagga hasn't really seen before," he said.

"It's more Melbourne and Sydney styled and will showcase different varieties of wine."

Mr Schmetzer is busy juggling his time as head barista at Lake Albert's Mock Orange Cafe, chef at Foodiam as well as guiding baristas in the making.

"I'm doing my own cafe style consulting and training workshops and I eventually want to get into roasting coffee and working alongside one of the big companies in Sydney or Melbourne," he said.

"I want to try and learn as much as possible and hopefully one day I will have my own shop to run.

"I think a lot of people take it for granted and say it's only coffee or it's only hospitality, but it is a profession and if you have a little bit of care you can go a long way."