Bean & Burgundy Bread Unique in Ellicott City

Walk into Ellicott City's newest coffee shop and you might be surprised to discover that the modern industrial space with its exposed pipes and flat-screen TVs once held rows of DVDs and packets of Twizzlers.

Located on Route 40, Bean & Burgundy Bread opened in November in the former home of a Blockbuster store. The 4,500-square-foot cafe, restaurant and wine bar keeps long hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. It's open from 7 a.m. until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on the weekends.

"We want to provide a place where people can spend some time and have a great experience," manager Young Coffman says. Though other bakeries dot Route 40, the 160-seat Bean & Burgundy is a spot where patrons hold business meetings and college students meet for study groups.

"It's much more spacious" than other area cafes, Coffman says. "You don't feel like you have to rush out. It's a little more relaxing, I'd say."

Bean & Burgundy consists of three sections. The front of the venue holds a café, where patrons seat themselves after getting their order. Behind it are tables where waiters take your order. At the very back is the bar area.

Two large display cases feature an assortment of American, Korean and French pastries. The café also sells various coffee drinks, smoothies, bubble tea and the signature drink, the cloud — steamed milk with flavored syrups, including honey and lavender, jasmine tea and mandarin. The menu includes omelets, salads, sandwiches and a Korean dish known as bibimbap. The plate, which costs about $10, consists of a bowl of rice, vegetables and a protein of choice: chicken, tofu or Korean-marinated barbecue beef, or bulgogi.

Red and white wine, beer and a traditional Korean drink, soju, are also for sale. Soju is similar to vodka and can be mixed with juice to make a cocktail, Coffman explains.

Ellicott City resident Annie Minji-Lee owns the restaurant, which employs about two dozen people.

The restaurant showcases live music about once a week, and managers are scouting for new bands to play jazz, acoustic guitar and other easy-listening music.

For more information, go to bbbread.com