Former church in Wheatville gets new life as Simple Pleasures Café
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Gordon and Denise Linsey’s new café in Wheatville features a comfortable corner to sit and converse or watch TV. Visible in the picture is the loft Gordon built, with winding metal staircase.
WHEATVILLE – Opening a café has always been a dream of Denise Linsey of Basom. After working 20 years in sales and raising a son, she and husband Gordon have opened Simple Pleasures Café at the corner of Lewiston and Knowlesville roads.
The former St. Patrick’s Church at Wheatville closed as a church in 2008.
The café is located in the former St. Patrick’s Church, which served the community from 1885 until its closing in 2008. The Lindsays purchased it in 2013, initially opening a gift shop there, which they closed during Covid in 2020.
They had thought about selling the building, but this year they decided to convert it into a café. Gordon has been a specialized sanitary welder for 30 years, and was ready for a change, he said.
It took them three years to get the building like they wanted it, Denise said. Outside they added railings and a ramp for easy entrance, built a loft inside, which serves as their office, and might possibly offer seating for diners in the future. Changes were made while preserving the architectural integrity of the former church, which included preserving the original tin ceiling.
Simple Pleasure Café opened Aug. 3. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch.
“I’ve always liked to bake, grilling and smoking meats,” Gordon said.
Gordon is the main cook for breakfast and Denise does most of the lunches.
Their menu is simple, but adequate and affordable. Offerings include a breakfast sandwich, eggs, hashbrowns, bagels and avocado toast. Selections for lunch are wraps, deli sandwiches, melts, salads and daily homemade soups. Add to that various coffees, cappuccino and lattes, and baked goods from Hans’s Bakery in Medina, and you have a delightful dining experience.
The restaurant has an area with stuffed easy chairs and a TV for comfortable seating and/or conversation. There is a small area outfitted for kids, a bar with stools, and tables and booths for dining. They still sell a limited amount of gift items, as well as David’s specialty teas from Canada and coffee from Eastern Star Roasters in Avon. They are the only coffee shop in Genesee County to carry Eastern Star Roasters coffee.
“The locals love that we’re here,” Denise said.
Takeouts may be called in ahead at (585) 356-5557.
Denise and Gordon Linsey of Basom have repurposed the church they bought in a café, serving breakfast and lunch. Here, Denise offers a pastry from Hans’s Bakery in Medina.
