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ST. LOUIS — Amid the familiar sounds of an espresso machine whirring and customers chatting, Outpost Coffee [& Bricks] is filled with the sound of Lego bricks being clicked into place.

In addition to making lattes, Americanos and pastries, the new spot offers Lego sets for rent as a way to bring people together.

“You can do something creative, something tactile. You can talk to the other person while you’re building together and just get lost a little bit in doing something fun,� said Jonathan Weathers, who owns the cafe with Lauren Seaman. They’ve been friends since kindergarten.

Outpost Coffee is situated in the new Bel Air Social space, at 4632 Lindell Blvd. Part food hall and part lounge, the social club is attached to the former Holiday Inn, which has been rebranded to Hotel Indigo.

Seaman, who has a background in international development, and Weathers, who is a pastor, started brainstorming what is now Outpost Coffee [& Bricks] over dinner last year.

Both were struck by then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s warnings of an epidemic of loneliness following COVID-19 lockdowns, they said. Seaman said it reminded him of when he lived in Chicago about a decade ago.

“No matter who I was interacting with, I kind of kept sensing this idea of what I call ‘crowded loneliness,’� he said. “Even in an urban context, it didn’t matter what your socioeconomic background is, your demographic, that same narrative kept coming out.�

Armed with Seaman’s love for Lego — he and his four daughters build together with Lego bricks regularly — and Weathers’ affinity for good coffee, the duo set out to find a home for their concept: a place where people could build Lego sets, enjoy a cup of coffee and socialize.

The business has over two dozen Lego sets for rent. Options include Harry Potter sets, cars, botanicals, Disney creations, architecture sets and more.

Sets that take about one hour to complete rent for $10, while sets that will take over two hours cost $18 to rent. The cafe provides all the pieces and laminated instructions — and will take the set apart upon completion, and clean it.

“If you’re gonna spend $100, say, on a Star Wars thing, instead, you could rent, over the course of the year, seven or eight different Star Wars sets that you wouldn’t otherwise,� Seaman said. “You get the satisfaction of tapping into different themes.�

After testing the concept at a handful of pop-up events in Kansas City, Seaman and Weathers found that participants really valued the hands-on experience building Lego offers. Weathers said they want to give people — especially adults — permission to play, no matter their skill level.

Weathers and Seaman originally planned to set up shop in Kansas City, Kansas, where they each live with their families, but after learning of plans for Bel Air Social in the Central West End, Seaman said they couldn’t pass up the opportunity for their budding business.

Seaman was introduced to Matt Abbott, the developer behind the Bel Air project, through a mutual friend in Kansas City. Seaman said he thought Outpost had a similar ethos to Abbott’s multi-vendor social club in St. Louis — and recognized that it would be a lighter investment to rent a stall in a larger space than to open their own brick-and-mortar store.

“He’s really passionate about creating social spaces and community spaces,� Seaman said of Matt Abbott, the developer behind the Bel Air Social project. “The Central West End is a great spot for that.�

Bel Air Social also consists of a full bar, a patio space, a cozy basement lounge for evenings and Pizza Via, an acclaimed pizza spot by Scott Sandler. Additional food vendors are expected to move in.

Seaman said he and Weathers will visit the coffee shop every month, but their staff of nine will hold down the fort in St. Louis.

Outpost Coffee is the first component of the club to open. The coffee counter serves Goshen Coffee and pastries, souffles, donuts and desserts from French bakery La Bonne Bouchée.

The two are excited to be a part of the new Bel Air Social Club, which officially opened last month. They hope to draw in more customers from folks who are there for pizza or happy hour.

Seaman and Weathers said they envision it as a place where people can commune for a meal, enjoy a late night cocktail or just to interact with others.

“This is a place where you can go and you can connect with people. You can build relationships. You can have fun building Lego. We hope we’re offering people an experience,� Weathers said. “We hope it’s a little bit of a bright light for people and that they can build community.�