Come for the coffee and stay to paint a piece of pottery. Or vice versa.
That’s what owners Mark and Amanda Clemente hope people will do at Brushes & Beans Cafe in Murrysville.
In two spacious rooms, the new business at 4550 William Penn Highway houses a coffee shop and a paint-your-own pottery studio.
The cafe partners with area companies, including coffee from La Prima Espresso Co. and sweet treats from Mediterra Bakehouse and S&S Country Delights, along with gluten-free snacks from Gluuteny Bakery.
Coffee options include brewed coffee, espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, Americano and cold brew. Other beverages include hot and iced tea, chai and hot chocolate.
On the pottery side, customers can choose from more than 300 pieces of bisque to paint in their choices of 50 colors and then have them fired in two kilns on site. Kiln-fired pieces are food, microwave and dishwasher safe.
The firing process takes about a week, Amanda said. Visitors also can choose acrylic paints for pieces that don’t need to be fired.
Options include vases, tableware, mugs, pet dishes and bowls, decorative items and garden gnomes, as well as a wide variety of items geared toward children. Prices range from $10 to $105, depending on size.
Private party rooms are available.
Art and music
The cafe also offers a monthly showcase of work by local artists. First up is drone photography by Brad Berkstresser of Pittsburgh’s North Hills and abstract paintings by Hannah Powell of Penn Hills.
“Artists have had a really hard time during the pandemic, so this is a way to help get the artists back out there,” Mark said.
Meet-the-artist nights are planned, along with live music from local musicians.
After a soft opening on Tuesday, Brushes & Beans will host a grand opening on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. The day will conclude with live music from 7:30-9 p.m. by the acoustic duo, Flying Blind.
Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review
Hundreds of paint-your-own pottery choices are available at Brushes & Beans Cafe in Murrysville.
Also on the horizon is a pottery-to-go option, in which people will be able to choose pottery pieces from the cafe website and pick up a package of materials to work on at home, then return the painted pieces to the cafe for firing.
“Murrysville has a lot of restaurants, but it doesn’t have a lot of places for entertainment or to hang out,” Mark said. “Especially now, I think people are looking for a place to go that’s not home and not work, and we have a lot of space for them to spread out.
“People are going to want to get out and be part of the community again, and we think this place will be a great stress reliever,” he said.
Mellow vibe
Mark owned a similar business called Brush Hour about 20 years ago in Dormont.
“It started as a studio, then I added a coffee shop,” he said. “I got the idea when I was working in New York. I saw a bunch of people outside of a place painting on the street, and I thought it would be great to bring it back home.”
In New York, the Monroeville native worked as a sports producer for the USA Network. He owned Brush Hour for about 2 years before selling it, and later worked in corporate communications in the Pittsburgh area.
The couple said they’d been thinking for a while about starting their own business.
“We had a level of comfort with this idea coming into it,” Amanda said, because of Mark’s previous experience.
Amanda was responsible for the interior design of the cafe and studio space.
Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review
The coffee shop side of the new Brushes & Beans Cafe in Murrysville.
“I wouldn’t call myself an artist, but I’ve always done thing creatively,” she said, including painting and making greeting cards and jewelry.
The walls are done in soft gray-blue with the artwork providing pops of color. Wood and metal shelving and seating adds an industrial touch, while strings of Edison bulbs light the pottery studio.
“We’re keeping it mellow with a nice, quiet vibe,” she said.
Mark is devoting himself full-time to Brushes & Beans, while Amanda continues to work for a local bank. They have nine employees, and Mark’s five kids “are here all the time,” he said.
“It would be great to build a business for my kids,” he added.
While hours differ this Saturday for the grand opening, regular hours will be 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.
Artists interested in showcasing their work and selling on consignment through the cafe can contact the Clementes.
Details: 724-610-3782, Facebook or brushesandbeanscafe.com
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Food & Drink | Lifestyles | More A&E | More Lifestyles | Murrysville Star | Top Stories
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