Coffee shop with ‘tiny but mighty’ kitchen opens in St. Clair County village farmhouse
How’s the saying go? When one door closes, another opens?
Shortly after the closing of the doors at one Belleville coffee shop comes the opening of doors at June’s Breakfast + Patio in Shiloh, giving early birds and coffee goers a new place for a morning caffeine fix and breakfast noms.
June’s opened for business Thursday, March 31.
I got a message from owner Liz Lingelbach Welzbacher of Belleville prior to the opening that stated, “I’m excited to officially say that we are opening this Thursday!”
“We’re calling it a ‘coffee open’ feat. a full coffee menu (espresso drinks, tea, and the like) plus house-made baked goods and booze (post-bike trail beers and bloody mary mornings),” continued Lingelbach Welzbacher.
“We’ll introduce our favorite food items over the next few weeks. Definitely swing by for a coffee or post-up in our upstairs lounge (great writer nooks).”
When I spoke to Lingelbach Welzbacher the day before the opening, she said she was feeling good about it.
June’s held a friends-and-family event the Sunday before opening to test some of the menu items, which went over very well, according to Lingelbach Welzbacher.
Thursday’s grand opening included coffee, tea and adult beverages, a stocked pastry case, some lighter grab-and-go items and some dairy-free options.
Lingelbach Welzbacher said that ingredients for their menu items are locally sourced. As a farm-to-table operation, they are “not willing to compromise quality” if desired goods are not readily available.
The menu will be adaptable based on availability of ingredients.
At June’s, they make their own bloody mary mix and will also serve mimosas, Lingelbach Welzbacher said. They carry beers from Millpond Brewing & Incubator in Millstadt and Scratch Brewing Company in Ava.
I asked Lingelbach Welzbacher if she has a go-to food item.
“Oh yes, our breakfast sandwich is life-giving,” said Lingelbach Welzbacher, adding that it was their most-ordered item.
The sandwich is made with eggs and pork sausage from Rustic Roots Farm in Brighton. There’s white cheddar, arugula grown by Double Star Farms in Benton, housemade garlic mayo and maple wholegrain mustard, all on sourdough brioche from Knead Bakehouse in St. Louis.
Other local partners include Blueprint Coffee, Big Heart Tea, Rolling Lawns Dairy, Windcrest Dairy and Companion Kombucha.
Lingelbach Welzbacher wants to take things slow with the food menu and use feedback from customers involving individual food items and portions. Once there’s a better feel for what the customers like and want and which items are sustainable, she says June’s can be more dynamic with food options.
At June’s, “being thoughtful about where things are coming from” is a priority, said Lingelbach Welzbacher.
June’s will also have its own on-site garden with an approximately 10-by-30-foot garden area off the patio. Three raised containers at the front of the building will have lettuces, beets, carrots and radishes, according to Lingelbach Welzbacher.
Food specials and new menu items, made in what Lingelbach Welzbacher calls their “tiny but mighty” kitchen, will be introduced to customers during opening weekend. She didn’t want to reveal the other hot food items at this time. (Go. Be surprised.)
Being carbon neutral is a goal at June’s Breakfast + Patio. Landfill-bound waste will be kept to a minimum. Anything that can be composted, recycled and reused will be, according to Lingelbach Welzbacher.
Raw food waste will be composted onsite to benefit the garden areas. Cooked food waste and to-go wares will go to Total Organics Recycling. Supply containers, such as milk and egg crates, are reusable.
Now, even if you aren’t a fan of coffee or breakfast (perish the thought!), June’s is worth a visit.
June’s is housed in a 1905 farmhouse that underwent a major renovation and restoration to prepare for this week’s opening.
Some of the building’s original features remain, including the ceiling above the main floor (look up!), upstairs flooring (look down!) and door and window frames (look everywhere!).
“It would’ve been easy to go with new build materials,” said Lingelbach Welzbacher.
Instead time was taken to select the materials used. Some were chosen based on durability and picked from natural materials. Any flooring that needed to be filled in upstairs was done using vintage pine from Refab in St. Louis.
A lot of the furniture came from thrift shops or was built, in part, by Lingelbach Welzbacher’s husband, Jon Welzbacher.
The renovation of the old farmhouse was beautifully done and provides a cozy place to visit with friends or to spend time alone with your thoughts.
On the main floor are the coffee bar and kitchen. Orders are placed at one end and drinks picked up at the other. Food orders are brought to customers at their tables.
The main dining area is bright and full of tables and chairs and has a door leading to the large patio area. Some patio seating is already in place with more to be added as the weather warms.
The second floor offers more comfy seating – tables for two, hi-top tables, cozy armchairs – and a quieter setting.
Lingelbach Welzbacher pointed out the neutral background for anyone who wants to have Zoom meetings.
Then there’s what Lingelbach Welzbacher calls the “library room.”
The library room includes a dining table with six mismatched chairs and two armchairs with lamps for reading. Lingelbach Welzbacher had in mind those coffee shop patrons who like to set up shop and hang out all day.
“It does feel polished,” said Lingelbach Welzbacher of the finished spaces. “We want people to feel like they’ve been here before.
June’s Breakfast + Patio is located at 430 S. Main St. in Shiloh. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.
For more information, visit junesinshiloh.com (join the mailing list) or the Facebook page.
