New Cafe Looks To Add To Downtown Atmosphere

Kory and Staci Wright stand inside The Brickhouse Cafe. They will be opening their doors on November 21st, 2016.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – A fire at the old Swims building turned the southeast corner of the Oskaloosa square into a eyesore, as the community wondered what, if anything would return to that part of town.

Recently, True Value opened it’s doors, and owners Brian and Glenda Booy have a strong commitment to not only the True Value store, but upstairs apartment living at the location.

Those apartments will be in conjunction with the Swims building which is also undergoing renovations to make more downtown living options.

On the east side of those buildings sits the small building that historically was home to Bon Ton Bakery, and most recently a Hospice, it will become the Brickhouse Cafe.

The Brickhouse Cafe is a dream of owners Kory and Staci Wright, and is located at 212 1st Avenue East in Oskaloosa. “Beyond excited”, says the couple of their new adventure.

“It’s always been Kory’s dream to have a restaurant, and I’ve always said no”, says Staci.

Kory has worked in the foodservice industry before, and after an attempt at one location, Staci said, “the dream doesn’t have to die, it just has to shift.”

So the couple went searching for a location, and the location on 1st Avenue became available. “God has just been overwhelmingly present in every bit of this”, added Staci.

When Kory went to look at the building, he called Staci saying, “You’ll never believe this , but the address is 212”.

The number 212 is also important for Staci, as she owns Salon 212. ‘I thought, oh my gosh, you better be listening. Somebody is talking to you. Everything has beautifully fallen into place”.

“And the dream just keeps going beautifully forward”, added Staci.

Opening officially on the 21st of November, Kory plans on hosting a few private events and maybe a soft opening before hand, to allow employees and himself time to get some practice in before the big day.

Breakfast will start at 6:30 am, and the cafe will be open until 2 to 2:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Saturday.. “Full coffee shop all day”, added Kory. “Come in for your speciality coffee, your laties, your cappuccinos, you chi’s..”

There will be to go breakfast orders, muffins and breakfast burritos to name just a few things being integrated into the menu. “Easy things to get on the go”, explains Kory.

When it comes to their menu, Kory says they have a “completely different twist on everything.”

“No fried foods, no grilled burgers,” says Kory. “We’ll do a lot of soups, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and some speciality sandwiches. Our menu will constantly be rotating”.

“I don’t think you’ll ever get too bored with it, because we’ll always be throwing in something new”, added Kory.

The couple plan on some occasions being open in the evening. Those may include the Lighted Christmas Parade, or Friday After Five as examples of potential special events.

“We hope to really utilize the courtyard”, says Staci of the large space between their building and MidWestOne motor bank. “Especially in the summer months. Have some speciality evenings available.”

The Wright’s are enjoying being a part of the revitalization process taking place along 1st Avenue East. ‘It’s fun to be a part of that process”, says Staci.

“Brian’s [Booy] done an amazing job on True Value, so it’s nice that we can all work together on our little quarter block here,” added Staci of being supportive of one another.

Seeing the transformation of the property, and being part of of the transformation that is taking place after a fire that decimated that part of town, “Has been the best part of it for me”, says Staci.

There will be a few days the cafe may close yet as those renovations continue to that quarter of the block. Installation of the sprinkler system will be one of those times, but the couple is anxious to open the doors officially, and welcome Oskaloosa in.

You can find out more about The Brickhouse Cafe by visiting their Facebook page HERE – https://www.facebook.com/The-Brickhouse-Cafe-1164180080320967/?fref=ts