“Pride Month for us is just a celebration of the expression of sexuality and individualism and self expression that allows people to go after what they want instead of what society tells them to do. And for us as a business, we definitely want everybody to kind of step outside of their comfort zone a little bit and figure out what they want. And so for us, it’s really important to provide a space and have this business that allows people to kind of chase after that. -Gianna Fristoe, Owner of The Eleventh House
Gianna Fristoe, owner of The Eleventh House moved to Lafayette in 2012 to attend Purdue University for Agricultural Education. While the original goal was to teach agriculture to high school students, Gianna found her true passion was restaurants. Gianna was working at The Black Sparrow when she was presented with the opportunity to utilize the space in Spot Tavern during the day. In November 2018, The Eleventh House began as a pop-up inside The Spot Tavern.
Gianna seized the opportunity to let her creative juices flow with the help of an AeroPress and airpots. The original two lattes featured bold unique flavors that couldn’t be found anywhere else. The sweet potato latte and the Chinese five spice mocha, now known as the “Good Karma” on their current menu were both well received by customers. The success of the pop-up led to the opening of The Eleventh House in downtown Lafayette in October of 2023. Today, The Eleventh House offers coffee, espresso, bagels and bagel sandwiches. The focus is providing more unique flavor concepts while still being really comfortable and approachable.
In addition to the careful curation of beverages, the interior of The Eleventh House was designed in collaboration with Lafayette local artist, Josh Starrett. The interior design is meant to create an environment that encourages you to think outside of the box. Gianna gained a new perspective on a crowd she felt was overlooked in the coffee shop scene when she married her wife, Taylor. Gianna and Taylor’s 7 year old daughter, Scarlet, drove the desire to make The Eleventh House a place for parents and their children. The Eleventh House hosts all ages, shows where families can enjoy music together.
Gianna encourages people to enjoy Lafayette and says, “The thing that we want to see most in Lafayette is people knowing that they can stay in Lafayette and kind of chase after their dreams here. You don’t have to move away. And I think by us being a space where people work on those dreams or their projects and take those risks is really important to us. And we’re happy that we get to play that role in this community.” Gianna highlights the immense feeling of community and belonging she has felt being apart of the Greater Lafayette Community.
Check out The Eleventh House at 116 N 3rd Street in Downtown Lafayette for your next coffee!
Troy Weber and Nolan Willhite, the owners of Flora Candle Co.
