New restaurant and coffee shop in downtown Belleville serves breakfast and sandwiches
Downtown Belleville has a new restaurant and coffee shop.
Sip & Chew Express serves breakfast all day, as well as sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, coffee, tea, lattes and cappuccinos.
“You never know what you may be sipping and chewing,” said co-owner Sandra Crockett, 53, of Belleville. “The main menu stays the same, but we offer daily specials. Like today, I have mac and cheese.”
Crockett’s partners are her two sisters, Tracy and Stacy Baxton, and nephew, Antonio Baxton. She serves as manager while also working out of her home as a mortgage loan officer.
The business has taken over a small storefront at 124 W. Main St., where the Pain & Injury Center used to be.
“We get a lot of lawyers coming in here,” said server Kyra Woodside, 28, of Belleville. “The courthouse is right down the street. It makes sense for them to pop in at lunch.”
Crockett’s chef is Jesse Howard, 31, of Swansea, who also is her nephew. He has worked at several area restaurants, including Budweiser Brewhouse at Ballpark Village, Hofbräuhaus, Bella Milano and 54th Street Grill & Bar.
Sip & Chew opened in late December. Sandwich prices range from $6.99 to $9.50 with potato chips.
“The smoke salmon panini is great,” Howard said. “I don’t think anyone else does that around here. I also do Philadelphia-style cheesesteak, quesadillas, classic burgers ... The sub sandwich is good. The turkey club is one of the biggest sellers.”
Breakfast choices include omelets, French toast, eggs Benedict, wraps and sandwiches ($6.99 to $10.79).
Crockett has been in the mortgage business for nearly 25 years, but she always thought she might someday like to own a coffee shop.
“I was getting ready for church one day (in 2018), and I just felt the Lord say, ‘Open a coffee shop,’ and I said, ‘OK,’” she said.
Crockett started looking around at possible locations and ended up on West Main Street in Belleville.
Sip & Chew seats 44 people at high-tops, regular tables and an L-shaped black marble bar. It’s decorated with black-and-white gingham, wagon wheels, burlap roses and miniature teapots. A wall-mounted infrared electric fireplace keeps things toasty.
“I’ve been pretty much going there every day,” said Kevin Troy, 41, of Belleville, a deputy circuit court clerk. “It’s convenient. I work at the courthouse, and it’s only a block away. It’s a place to get good food, and I like it because they have something different every day.”
Restaurant hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 618-641-9400 or visit the Facebook page.
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 4:55 AM.
