ASHEVILLE - A LEGO-themed bar and cafe that welcomes adults to be kids again is preparing for opening day.
On Oct. 23, Sip & Brick will make its grand debut at 81 Broadway St., offering free play, brick kits, and a complete in-house dining menu, coffee program and bar.
Stone Fentzlaff, the founder and Brick Artisan, partnered with his brother, Garrett Fentzlaff, Lauryn Wooding and Devanie Cunningham to open the business. Previously, the ownership team operated Brickville, a LEGO minifigure store, in the Asheville Mall, that attracted collectors and others to play.
"It feels surreal. We wanted to build a place that fosters community and creativity where people are off their phones," Wooding said.
Disconnecting to reconnect ― game hubs on the rise in Asheville
The Fentzlaff brothers and their partners recalled
playing with building bricks as children, a pastime they've held on to.
"I remember times when we would sit down for hours, have something cozy on TV, maybe for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, and just build for hours, seeing what the other one could come up with, and being able to challenge each other in a creative (way)," Stone Fentzlaff said of him and his brother.
The Asheville natives set out to bring more interactive activities to downtown for families. Though it welcomes all ages most of the day, Sip & Brick, which the LEGO Group does not endorse or sponsor, was also designed with the "big kids" in mind, offering adult beverages and a coffee program.
During the soft opening, the management team said they were surprised and glad to see how many adults were just as engaged in building their original structures or the provided kits together, sometimes staying for hours.
Sip & Brick's opening follows those of other local game-driven downtown businesses, including Well Played Board Game Cafe, The Velvet Wind (a speakeasy-style Mahjong lounge) and The Gamers' Haunt (a gaming hub).
"It's about places that hold space for that conversation for that environment that feels communal, detached a little bit maybe from the chaos or the instant interaction with everyone online, and went back to that face-to-face interaction," said Garrett Fentzlaff, who is also the manager and bartender and oversees creative direction and interior design. "It's almost like humans being humans and interacting in general play again with one another."
How it works: Building creations at Sip & Brick
Sip & Brick's spacious century-old building has had many iterations, including a nightclub, music venue, laundromat and more. It features playing and dining tables and bar counter seating, where guests can work on their creations or stop in for a drink or meal.
Guests check in at the Brick Shop, where Brick Artisan Stone Fentzlaff helps them choose between a bucket of random pieces for free play or a kit to build a specific design.
Staff provide guidance on how long a kit is expected to take to build; the largest set is expected to have around 1,200 pieces and take four to five hours. Guests may store their projects for a limited time and return to continue working on them.
Bulk buckets of random bricks will be available for on-site play at no cost. Nearly 60 kits, with instructions, will be available to rent.
The Brick Artisan also helps builders find the specific pieces they need to complete or enhance their projects, all organized in a large, catalog-style storage cabinet.
After the build, guests can return their creations to the Brick Shop for dismantling or pay by the pound for the completed piece. Stone Fentzlaff said a small car could cost around $4.
The bricks are sanitized between plays.
"It's a place of creativity and community. Over the past five soft openings, we've seen people of all ages build whatever their hearts desire," said Garrett Fentzlaff
The partners said they imagine Sip & Brick to also be a place for dates, bachelor and bachelorette groups, birthdays, corporate events, and other special occasions and group hangouts. Private rental bookings are available.
"There's something about playing with the bricks that's nostalgic," Garrett Fentzlaff said.
On the menu: Sip & Brick caters to daytime, evening guests
Wooding, head baker and bar manager, created a menu that features baked goods, bagels, quiche, salad, sandwiches, and snackable plates of fruits and vegetables and more, with items made in-house.
"We want to use as many local ingredients as possible. Everything being homemade is a big thing to me," Woodding said. "That's something that we really value: providing something that's homemade and pure, not filled with preservatives."
Vegan and gluten-free options will be offered.
Cunningham, the assistant bar manager, said they welcome guests to build any place they feel comfortable in, as was exhibited during the soft opening.
"There was a point where there were only four or five people building, and instead of sitting at the tables, they came to the bar and were chatting with us while building, so we had that awesome engagement with them, as well," he said.
The themed cocktail list features adult drinks priced from $13 to $18 and mocktails from $8 to $10.
The Brick and Bramble, made with Diplomatico, orange liqueur, blackberry simple syrup, fresh lime, pineapple juice, allspice dram and Angostura bitters, was one of the bestsellers during the soft opening.
Cunningham said his favorite is The Robber Baron. Inspired by the grandfather of the Fentzlaff brothers, the recipe calls for Woodford Reserve, a dash of bitters, house-made black cherry syrup, sweet vermouth and a twist of orange. It is described as a mix between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan.
The Green Mortar, a zero-proof drink, is made with cucumber juice, basil simple syrup, lime juice and tonic water.
The tap handles, constructed from building blocks, will pour local beers from breweries such as Highland Brewing and Whistle Hop Brewing Co. Wine and other nonalcoholic beverages will be available.
"I've definitely, over the course of my life, have loved to build creatively with LEGO bricks ― spaceships, now tap handles, and everything in between," Stone Fentzlaff said.
Sip & Brick
Where: 81 Broadway St., downtown Asheville.
Opening: Oct. 23.
Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
7 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
12-8 p.m. Sunday.
Info: Hours may change; only guests 21 and older are admitted after hours on weekends. For updates, follow on Instagram @sip_and_brick.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Awards, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Sip & Brick bar, cafe opening, invites all ages to play with LEGOs
