Dear Beloved Community,
When I first saw the For Lease sign at 1601 W. Koenig Lane in the fall of 2015, I thought, “Hmm, this might be a neat space to create my vision.”
Within a year, I was opening the doors of my dream: a physical space to foster connection. I didn’t know how much bigger that dream would grow as the business grew. Over the last 10 years, Brentwood Social House has become so much more than a coffee shop. It’s been a place for connection, comfort, conversation, creativity, celebration, and community.
At the heart of it all has been one belief: the world needs more places to experience connection and love. And together, we created one.
I’m incredibly proud of what we built here and the impact this space has had on so many people’s lives — including mine. This experience stretched me, changed me, and taught me more than I ever could have imagined. I got to live a dream that once felt impossible.
But after a lot of reflection, I’ve made the decision to begin the process of stepping away from Brentwood Social House.
You’ll soon be seeing an “Available” sign in front of the property, and I wanted our community to hear directly from me about what that means.
I’m currently exploring the right next chapter for the space — whether that’s someone purchasing the business and continuing Brentwood Social House, creating a new concept in the space, subleasing it, or stepping into a new direct lease with the landlord.
This decision was not made lightly.
The reality is that the last several years have required constant pivoting, adapting, and carrying increasing financial pressure. Personally, I’ve reached the point where I no longer have the capacity — emotionally, mentally, or financially — to continue carrying it forward in the same way.
Sometimes the greatest kindness we can give ourselves is permission to be done. To recognize when a chapter has run its course and make space for whatever wants to emerge next.
As we move through this transition, you may begin to notice changes. That could look like revised hours, reduced staffing, menu adjustments, or shifts in programming as we work to stabilize operations during this season.
With this shift, I want to reassure both our team and our community of a few important things:
Brentwood Social House is still open and operating.
All current bookings, events, and orders will continue to be honored unless otherwise communicated.
We are current on our lease, payroll, and vendor obligations, and I remain committed to handling our responsibilities with integrity.
My team was informed directly of my plans, and I made a commitment to them that they will always be paid for their work and will never show up to locked doors.
This place has meant so much to me, and I deeply care about what happens next. My hope is that the space lands in the hands of someone who feels inspired by its potential and excited to shape its future in a meaningful way.
And finally, I do want to say this:
The challenges Brentwood Social House is facing are not unique to us. Independent businesses everywhere are under enormous pressure right now. Rising costs, changing consumer spending habits, increased competition from large corporations and investor-backed concepts, and the growing cost of simply existing have made survival incredibly difficult for small, independent spaces. We are watching many of the community-centered “third spaces” that make neighborhoods feel human slowly disappear.
I may share more about that reality in the future because I think it’s important for people to understand what’s happening behind the scenes of small businesses they love. But for now, I mostly just want to say thank you.
Thank you for every coffee run, every conversation, every meeting, every birthday party, every tea reservation, every community event, every kind word, every friendship, every gift of support, every recommendation to a friend, every moment you choose to spend here.
Whatever happens next, Brentwood Social House mattered. And that’s because of all of you.
With love and gratitude,
Suzanne Daniels
Founder/Owner, Brentwood Social House
If you are interested in leasing opportunities for the property, you can reach out to Laura Fairbanks at laura@fairbankscommercial.com.
If you are interested in purchasing Brentwood Social House or discussing the future of the business, you can contact me directly at info@brentwoodsocial.com.