Specialty coffee brews and pastries found at "Guest House" opening downtown Lincoln today

[February 05, 2018] 

LINCOLN

A familiar and popular downtown business has taken on a new name and new ownership. Guest House is replacing By the Bean on the square in Lincoln.

If you are a frequent customer at By the Bean coffee house in Lincoln, when you stop by today, you may see some subtle difference. You may also immediately notice the less than subtle difference, the shop, now called the Guest House, is under new ownership/management.

Nicole Cox and Ethan Hoinacki, both from Lincoln, have taken on the business, giving it a new name, and a new menu while keeping some of the same familiar things.

Appearance-wise, the shop is about the same. You will still find the antique door wall hanging, the back room is still a great place for larger groups. The front counter, the register area and coffee pick-up area are the same as always.

The menu on the wall is different, but according to Cox, the hosts at the coffee shop know all the old blends, and will gladly guide you through ordering a similar product, or if what you want doesn’t show up on the menu board, they will make your favorite for you anyway.

Cox said that several months ago she and Hoinacki were approached to take on the location as David Lanterman prepared to close By the Bean and Bean Sprouts. Cox said she and Hoinacki along with their spouses thought about it a lot, talked about it a lot, and prayed about it a lot. Finally they decided they were ready to take the plunge and become business owners in the heart of the city.

Hoinacki and Cox are both known to those in the community who frequent the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Farmers Market each year. Both have had booths at the market since it opened three years ago. Cox said that she and Hoinacki will not be returning to the market this coming season. Both are fully invested in the new brick and mortar business, and will be spending more than 60 hours a week each at the Guest House.

Cox said in addition to themselves, the Guest House will have six employees, and all together the group of eight will maintain the same hours as By the Bean, opening and 7 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m. with the exception of Friday and Saturday nights when they will extend the closing time to 9 p.m.

Right now the Guest House is just in the single By the Bean building, but the building next door will soon become a part of the business as well. The unit to the north of By the Bean had originally been designated as space for a farm to table restaurant – Bean Sprouts.

Cox said that there are no plans for a restaurant for herself and Hoinacki, but they do plan to move into that building to the north with more of a relaxed social area for the coffee shop. Cox said they intend to furnish the area with sofas and chairs, and tables to accommodate larger groups.

That part of the coffee shop will also be available for private parties, such as birthday parties, showers, club meetings, and office parties.

Cox said all of her bakery items will be made in-house, in the kitchen next door. She anticipates offering special bakery items in the coffee shop, changing up the choices on a daily basis. She will also still be doing the special order items she has done for the last couple of years. She noted customers will still be able to special order her cupcakes and hand-painted cookies at any time.

Ethan Hoinacki is for the moment a hobby bean roaster. Cox said that while he did roast his own beans for items sold at the farmers market, for the time being he won’t be doing that at Guest House, though roasting is probably in the future.

Cox noted they will use local roasters when possible, as did By the Bean. She said the partners will look at the traffic in the shop, consider the affordability as well as profitability of doing custom roasts and will make a decision about that part of the business after they have been running for a while.

When the social room is opened, the Guest House will also go back to offering live entertainment as well as an open mic night. Cox said that for the most part the second room is finished, there is still façade work to be finished and that is all. She indicated that Lanterman will be finishing the façade in the near future, then the second room will be opened for business.

[Nila Smith]