Brumby’s Coffeehouse and Pizzeria, located on Main Street in Bellville, has undergone renovations over the last three months that embrace both the original architecture as well as modern technology. Currently open in in the evenings, four days a week, the remodeled dining room will soon be open six days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
When the Gandee family purchased the building in 1999, the restaurant primarily served pizza; however, the interior design sparked an idea with owner, Bret Gandee. “I noticed the brick walls in the dining room and thought, this looks like a coffeehouse, so let’s make it a coffeehouse,” he said.
And in the recent renovations, the dining room received the most attention.
Where there used to be a low ceiling, Gandee, who designed and performed most of the remodeling, removed the dropped ceiling to expose the original tin ceiling 12 feet above the floor. He also removed false facades to expose the full 11 foot tall windows, allowing more light into the building.
“We wanted to have the windows go as high up as we could to have more light, plus we wanted to be able to the see the decorative part of the columns from the inside,” stated Gandee.
The steel columns on the exterior are more pronounced and visible to their original full height, allowing visitors to see the original decorative features. “It looks more like the original store front,” he said. Initially, the restaurant used to be part of the San-Dar Smorgasbord building.
Before the San-Dar, which opened in 1968, the building at one time housed two grocery stores simultaneously before consolidating under one grocery store name: Stoodt’s. But that was a long time ago, perhaps in the early 1900s.
In juxtaposition with the historic exterior, the Gandees added new-age technology to the interior with the digital menu board and the Ipad-based point of sales system.
Another unique feature can be found when approaching the glass double doors to see the roasting room, equipped with a new coffee roaster and 1200 pounds of coffee beans.
The flooring is also new and decked out with dark brown bamboo.
In addition to the physical features, the restaurant is seeing changes in respect to online ordering. Customers now have the opportunity to place orders online, and there’s a smart phone app in which people can use for online ordering.
Brumby’s new hours will expand to up to six days a week, Tuesday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and on Sunday’s from 12 noon – 9 p.m.
Given the extended hours, there will be more items added to the menu, including breakfast items and lunch items, like calzones. Not only will there be new menu items, Brumby’s will also retail coffee beans and roast bean to order.
Gandee noted that his favorite drink is the espresso. “When I wake up each morning I pull myself a triple shot. It used to be a double, but since the project’s been going on, it is now a triple. I also like the Milky Way frappe. That’s one of the most popular drinks we have.”
On Aug. 22, some visitors got a sneak preview of the Brumby’s fresh design and menu items during its soft launch. “I wasn’t ready to be busy, but we had people standing outside before we were even open, and then we were slammed busy from Thursday when we opened until Sunday night when we closed. The place was packed out,” said Gandee.
Gandee is still working on the finishing touches and is hoping to host the grand re-opening on Tuesday, September 3 and begin the new hours, but their Facebook page will keep customers current.
He’s dedicated 14-16 hour days to this renovation project; fortunately, home isn’t too far away. Interestingly, the Gandee’s home is located on the upper level on the restaurant.
“It’s nice in the respect that you can get away a little bit,” said Gandee. Gandee’s wife Kathy and five children are part of the business’s activities; the younger children mingle with customers they’ve come to know and Kathy and the older children have helped with everything from the cooking through the renovations.
“I noticed the brick walls in the dining room and thought, this looks like a coffeehouse,” stated Bret Gandee
