Brick+Mortar Boutique and Coffeehouse — Restaurant in Simpsonville

Brick and Mortar is an extremely charming little coffee shop that fits in perfectly in the sweet little town of Simpsonville.

Simpsonville is a really easy escape from the big city of Louisville and gives you access to Shelbyville, which has two natural spots that I like a lot: Shelbyville Lake Park and Campground, and the Guist Creek Lake boat access (where I love to swim).

John and his wife have done a great job of decorating the coffee shop, which has lots of light and many options for sitting - including a nice back room you could use for meetings or talking on the phone.

The wait staff were terrific and fun to talk to. I told them that I had actually met John yesterday, when we were both waiting at the same local mechanic. (Simpsonville Automotive, which I think is terrific.)

In the mechanic waiting room yesterday, John really impressed me with his parenting skills: he was totally there for his kids, giving them his complete attention, helping them with their games and being very sweet and affectionate and natural.

I never would’ve guessed that, in addition to his parenting, he is also an entrepreneur running a small business. He seemed like there was nothing present in the world for him but to just be with his adorable kids.

I got a chance to chat with John in front of the shop today and he revealed that he is a natural entrepreneur, who loves keeping lots of balls in the air at once.

The pumpkin bread was terrific and the coffee was excellent. John was very attentive to his customers, touching base with the people sitting outside and running to get things that other customers needed in the very attractive outdoor seating.

I told John that I was going to give him $2000 worth of free business consulting:

Have some picnic tables in the back, away from the street noise.

He said that they tried that and the guests did not like it. That was a mystery to me, because at age 74 I have trouble filtering out background noise and found this a challenge for holding a conversation out front. I wish he would at least have one table in the back so that would be an option.

I have walked down that street several times and never identified this as a coffee shop. The name made me think it had something to do with construction or interior design. The word “coffeehouse” is on the sign, but in smaller light print that I never had noticed.

John told me they used to have flags out front identifying it as a coffee house, but that wind storms had ripped them up. I would make the investment of replacing them - or in some other way making it obvious that this is actually a coffee shop. (Maybe a sign with a big, beautifully painted coffee cup.)

I am a big fan of John, his waitstaff and his lovely coffee shop. I would recommend it as a way to break up your trip out to the country...

Brick + Mortar coffee house and boutique is what boldly represents little towns across America and the top level customer service and quality products you can get when you shop local versus adding to major corporations. Don't get me wrong, I love the major retailer coffee chains as much as anyone else, but there's something different about Brick + Mortar. The care is exceptional. The quality is refined. The pricing is completely average and honestly not bad when you consider how much it costs to locally source the majority of their products. The ambiance is wonderful and inviting! You can tell how much love and work has gone into creating this wonderful new business. Give em a shot as soon as you can! You won't be...

We stopped by here after visiting the outlet shoppes, and were so happy we did! Their house speciality & seasonal drinks seem a lot more unique than other small shops we’ve been to. Don’t remember the drink names, but we got one with a chocolate turtle flavor, and another with a hint of lavender. Honestly some of our favorite coffee we’ve had.

We also got a slice of their gluten-free coconut almond cake/bread. Amazing! They heated it up for us, and it was so delicious and soft. The glaze on top was the perfect amount of sweetness.

Wish there was a location closer to us in southern Indiana, we’d go all the time! Please stop by and support, you won’t be...