Kids and adults will be able to experience the first immersive Lego and coffee café in the country this summer at Newport on the Levee.
The Brickey Café & Play comes from the mind of Cincinnati native Daniel Johnson, who is a certified facilitator of the Lego Serious Play method – a facilitated thinking, communication and problem-solving technique for use with organizations, teams and individuals.
Johnson signed a lease with North American Properties for a 3,100-square-foot space next to Velocity Esports. The Café will unite shopping, dining and entertainment under one roof. The Café will feature three main areas: a retail space for new and used Legos, a café, and a play area for kids.
“As an extreme fanatic of Lego myself, I’m constantly in awe at how the toy has continued resonating with every generation for nearly a century,” Johnson said. “My family and I are so excited to join the Levee crew and we can’t wait to share this new journey with our neighbors.”
Designed for kids ages 5 to 12, the play area will take up approximately one-third of the space in the storefront. For a small fee, kids can play with Lego sets from a variety of different franchises such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Super Mario. The sets are scheduled to rotate regularly. Monthly passes will also be available for purchase.
For the café portion, Johnson plans to serve hand-crafted sodas, mocktails, teas, coffee, lemonade, fresh-baked desserts, bagged snacks and popcorn.
The interior of the café will feature local landmarks and artwork constructed from Legos. Cincinnati-based artist Jonathan Queen is painting a mural inside the store. The seating areas will have Lego bricks for building either with provided instructions or for free building. If a guest likes their creation, they can buy it and take it home.
Finally, there will be a private event space for birthday parties, company meetings and date nights. Community-driven activities such as Lego Masters watch parties, Sip and Brick classes, themed build tournaments and more will also be hosted regularly.
The Brickery is one of many businesses coming to the Levee in 2023. Others include 16 Lots Brewing, Company, Amador, The Galley on the Levee and Uber Freight.
“We have so many incredibly talented, homegrown entrepreneurs, and The Brickery is yet another example of how a local was able to channel his passion to create a unique entertainment option that appeals to guests of all ages,” said Gabriella Burch, the Levee’s general manager. “It will be the perfect addition to our ever-growing collection of small businesses here at the Levee.”
