New cafe coming to train depot in downtown Belleville

A new coffee shop is coming to downtown Belleville.

After losing Junction Coffee and St. Louis Bread Company on East Main Street, downtown Belleville will soon be able to get a cup of coffee at Balance Coffee and Tea, which will be located at the old train depot on South Illinois Street, about eight blocks from the traffic circle.

Owner and roaster Marshall Morris, who plans to open sometime in mid-February, has taken a long and circuitous route toward opening the cafe.

Morris, originally from Columbia, went to Belleville West High School before following his father and grandfather into the railroad industry, where he worked for 15 years.

At one point, Morris was hired by Amtrak, which moved him to Seattle where he eventually fell into the bustling coffee scene.

“It’s a big circle I’ve come back to,” Morris said about opening up a cafe in a train depot.

For more information, contact Morris at balancecoffeeandteas@gmail.com.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 3:16 PM with the headline "New cafe coming to train depot in downtown Belleville."