Beyond the Brim Caters to a Smoke-Free Adult Palette

By Matt Weafer
Messenger-Inquirer
The Scene

Laughter and boisterous conversation erupted out of the glass doors when I opened them to let my fiancée and group of friends enter Beyond the Brim before me. The smell of coffee permeated the air, and muffled jazz melded into the laid-back din.

My friends and I had left the movie theatre and were wondering where to go next. So we had stopped by Beyond the Brim to hang out and decide.

“We could go to a bar,” my friend said. “It’s Saturday night; there isn’t really anywhere else to go.”

The four of us stood in line and I watched the groups of people, old and young, huddled around tables, playing games or just chit chatting.

The warm earth tones of the tables and walls, and the mellow, blue and tan light fixtures provided a calm atmosphere after the action-packed movie.

I ordered a soy latte and then a tiramisu to share with my fiancée. My friends ordered fruit smoothies. We sat at a round table on top of a small stage about a half a foot off the ground.

“Let’s play Scrabble,” one of my friends suggested. We, like the other mish mash of other clientele, delved into jocular competition and spent the rest of the night in the smoke-free, laid-back coffeehouse.

Unlike a bar, Beyond the Brim is a mild atmosphere perfect for catching up with friends.
According to Eric Ebling, who’s worked at Beyond the Brim for 10 months, The coffeehouse is a place where you can relax and enjoy the music. “Nobody’s getting up and fighting; everybody is agreeable.”

Jamie Alsop, an employee since July 2004, said, on the weekend, the crowd ranges from teenagers to people past their forties.

Christopher Lord, Beyond the Brim owner, said that despite the often-larger concentration of high school and college age patrons visiting the coffeehouse on the weekends, Beyond the Brim was specifically intended to be a place for adults to retreat and hang out with friends.

“When you go out to dinner, you work according to the server’s schedule,” Lord said. Once you’re finished eating, they expect you to leave. “Where do you go then?”

“That’s what we are in the night time,” Lord said, “a place for adults to shoot the bull.”
The conservative atmosphere offers people who are uncomfortable with the bar scene a place to be themselves.

Coffee is not the only thing on the menu. Beyond the Brim offers a wide assortment of hot teas, smoothies, frappes, shakes, and more. Especially with warm weather fast approaching, try one of the colder drinks. “Just because it says coffee doesn’t mean it’s hot,” Ebling said.

“Our desserts and drinks are not just coffee-based,” Lord said.

Desserts range from baked goods to cheesecakes. The baked goods are fresh and homemade by Beyond the Brim, and the cheesecakes are not just plain Jane cheesecakes — try a Crazy Carrot Cheesecake, or the Great Cherry Cheesecake.
Alsop said the Christian atmosphere and the high quality food and drink, make Beyond the Brim unique and attractive.

According to Lord, “Two week-old coffee is bad coffee. Our beans are fresher than most bread people buy at the grocery store.”

The variety of coffee Beyond the Brim offers spans from different regions across the planet.

With adult focused games, comfortable setting, and high quality food and drink, Beyond the Brim is perfect for a light dinner, an after dinner or movie snack, or a place to hang out and relax.

According to Lord, “The palette here is blended for an adult comfort … but kids are welcome.”