Published October 26, 2026 | Updated October 26, 2026

I’ve always been drawn to historic buildings that have been saved and repurposed. That’s what led me to Cafe Postale inside the historic Rail and Commerce Building.

This building started its life as an old mail terminal before being converted into offices and, most importantly for me, a coffee shop. It is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of an adaptive reuse project.

Cafe Postale opened in 2021 as a partnership between Nathan Newhouse of Attitude on Food catering and Commerce Village, the co-working space located within the building. The coffee shop features a rotating menu for both dine-in and grab-and-go meals featuring fresh food made with locally sourced ingredients.

As you enter from the garden patio along 10th Street, you open an original wood door, walk up a few steps, and encounter the large green counter where you can place your order. If you’re aiming to get your caffeine fix, the morning beverage menu includes espresso, macchiato, latte, cappuccino, and cold brew, as well as a variety of teas. The breakfast and lunch menu includes sandwiches, wraps, soup, and salads. In the evenings, Cafe Postale turns into a lounge with cocktails including espresso martini, old fashioned, martini, margaritas, and mojitos.

When I arrived at 9:30 am on a Thursday, there were about a half dozen people. I imagine the place gets quite busy earlier in the day during breakfast and later during lunch with office workers from Commerce Village as well as Boyd Jones and Warren Distribution, which also have offices in the building.

After perusing the menu, I settled on a cold brew with milk and a ciabatta sandwich that includes egg, chipotle mayo, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, and spinach. While waiting for my order, I took a look around the space. The cafe featured large windows, wood and tile floors, hanging lights, an old vault door, a shoeshine stand, and large black-and-white photographs. Walking toward the back, I entered a hallway with an old mail chute that was cut open to provide access to the restrooms. To the right of the main dining room and down a few steps was a lower-level room that served as a rental space for special events including weddings. On one end was a velvet curtain that was tied back to reveal a massive historic photo looking north along the 10th Street viaduct. The other end has garage doors that lead to the patio that sits just beneath street level.

My order arrived about 10 minutes later. The cold brew gave me the jolt I needed to walk around and capture photos of the surrounding district for an upcoming article. While I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t put it among my favorite coffee shops in town. As for the sandwich, I typically go for protein, but it was quite tasty without it. The egg, tomatoes, and spinach combined with the sharpness of the cheese and creaminess of the mayo hit the spot.

Located at the southern end of the 10th Street viaduct and across from the former Burlington Station, Cafe Postale’s home was constructed by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad for use as a mail facility in 1926. Afterward, the building sat empty for decades and began to deteriorate while its windows were broken out. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 before being rescued and renovated starting in 2017. You can learn more about the history of the building by clicking my article below.

Cafe Postale reminds me a bit of The Mill on Leavenworth with its dual coffee shop by day and cocktail lounge by night concept. Located at 950 S. 10th Street, it opens at 7:30 am every day and closes at 2 pm on Mon, 6 pm on Tue-Fri which includes happy hour from 3 to 6 pm, and 3 pm Sat and Sun.

I found it to be a worthwhile visit and, while it’s not a place I’ll visit often as someone who works from home, I won’t hesitate to go back when I get the chance. The atmosphere, which combines history with an upscale wedding venue, is hard to beat.

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