A Coffee Haven Nestled in Traverse City’s Opera House

A Bayfront Café with Historic Charm

Situated within the historic City Opera House on Traverse City’s main thoroughfare, Brew enjoys a prime spot just a short walk from the turquoise waters of Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. That location alone draws coffee enthusiasts to this Michigan destination.

The café has been bustling since the local newspaper, the Traverse City Record Eagle, reported its opening in fall 2011. What was intended as a soft launch turned into a packed first day. “People were lined up outside. We still had paper on the windows and doors. We had to take the paper off and keep putting it back up every time we let a few people in,” remembers Sean Kickbush, who owns Brew with his wife Melissa.

Owners Sean and Melissa Kickbush.

From Car Dealership to Coffee Shop

Before becoming coffee entrepreneurs, the thirty-something couple spent a decade working at a Traverse City car dealership. With two young children, they sought greater flexibility in their lives. The transition was not easy. “My mom put it best: ‘Why do you want to shake up the snow globe when you’ve got it all?’” Sean recalls.

Melissa was the first to leave her job. Serving as general contractor for the build-out, she worked energetically with help from her father. “I did lots of the demolition. I worked on the walls and knocked off plaster,” she says. Sean contributed evenings at Brew after his daytime hours at the dealership. Other family members and friends also pitched in.

Finances were precarious at the start. “We had to sell our cars. Missy cried a lot,” Sean says with a laugh. Luckily, they live just blocks from the shop and can walk or bike to Brew.

Coffee First, with Plenty of Variety

The Kickbushes initially imagined serving mostly French presses, but soon recognized that wasn’t realistic. For customers in a hurry, they offered a seasonal blend for a dollar from Fetco airpots placed on an antique chest near the front door. “When those pots run out, our regulars set them up on the edge of the bar for us to refill,” Melissa says, laughing.

The exterior of Brew.

While the dollar coffee has been popular, they still prepare plenty of French presses and pour-overs. Brew offers five different beans for pour-overs made with V60s, Chemexes, and Clever brewers. The beans come from Higher Grounds Trading Company, a Traverse City roaster that shares Brew’s philosophy. These Fair-Trade and organic beans are delivered year-round by bicycle twice a week—no easy feat during northern Michigan’s legendary winters.

From the beginning, the Kickbushes knew the business couldn’t survive on coffee alone. Brew’s name helps position the shop as a destination for Michigan craft beers, wine, and martinis alongside excellent coffee, enabling the business to stay open seventeen hours a day. Pastries, salads, and sandwiches are also available, including a cherry tuna melt that honors Traverse City’s heritage as home of the National Cherry Festival.

Even with that variety, “Coffee will always be our focus,” Sean says.

A Space Full of Character

Brew’s 2,500-square-foot space offers plenty to catch the eye. The café occupies the street-level portion of the historic Traverse City Opera House, which is over 100 years old. The interior is sleek yet rustic. Most walls are exposed brick, but one wall is made of reclaimed wood from an old barn near Traverse City. When the couple needed more wood, they searched other barns throughout Lower Michigan. The well-worn blond wood floors have a beautiful patina and are original to the space. They “took hours to uncover,” Melissa says.

Brew’s name is helpful in pitching the shop as a place to drink some great Michigan craft beers, wine, and martinis along with killer coffee, which allows the business to be open seventeen hours a day.

Lighting was carefully considered as well. Edison lights hang over the bar, and sconces line the walls, giving off an incandescent glow. The tables are repurposed lanes from an old bowling alley in town, built by the Kickbushes’ son’s tee-ball coach. The ceiling is made of decorated tin. “It looks like a giant Hershey Bar,” Melissa said.

Art is integral to Brew’s culture. Work by local artists hangs on the walls and changes quarterly. Terrariums are perched high above the coffee bar. Quirky, handmade Brew-branded mugs are made by Melissa’s aunt from Georgia.

A Gathering Place Year-Round

In a vacation destination like Traverse City, the off-season can be difficult. Sean says Brew receives strong support from locals and is a favorite work spot for the downtown community. To that end, the long bar near the front of the store features six red, well-worn bar stools, each with access to its own electrical outlet mounted in the orange-and-white subway tile. “We wanted Brew to be a place where people would feel comfortable lingering or working,” Melissa explains, proudly surveying her busy café filled with families, tourists, artsy types, and business people.