Brickhouse Coffee Perks Up

When Jared and Lora Stayton left to be missionaries in southern Spain in 2011, they didn’t know they’d one day have a mission of their own: connecting people over coffee on Indy’s south side. More than six years (and two locations) later, the Staytons have opened a direct-trade coffeehouse and craft roastery in the longtime home of Jonathan Byrd’s, a southside legend that served its last cafeteria meal in 2014. With live local acts and communal tables for laptop work or spiritual discussions, Brickhouse Coffee Co. has the wholesome, youthful vibe of a church rec room. But roasting beans direct from farmers in Brazil and Ethiopia in a refurbished 1912 roaster gives the operation real coffee cred, and its French press, Chemex, and Kalita filter pours will impress even the most discerning. The final touch: cinnamon rolls and coffee cake from local bakeries, plus a weekend omelet bar and pulled pork and chicken salad sandwiches from Jonathan Byrd’s, which lives on as a catering business. 100 Byrd Way, Greenwood, 317-550-0034