BY Staff
Books and coffee go together, the adage goes.
So much so that if you walked downtown Cedar Falls on Saturday morning, despite the November nipping wind, you’d have seen countless fans, waiting patiently for the official opening of the Reader’s Cup at 218 Main Street, the companion store to the Nook, the bookstore next door at 216 Main.
Readers of all genres and generations – all coffee lovers – had converged on this one spot despite the cold to be a part of the hot happening, all lovers of books and brews. Students, parents with young kids, and community members of all walks of life formed a line, three-people deep in places, starting at the coffee shop’s door and stretching all the way to the end of the block by The Horny Toad.
It was a sight to behold.
It was a moment to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of a local family, Brandon Conrad and Abby Olson, a husband- and-wife-team and their families. Guided by Abby’s parents, Darron and Debbie Olson, the young business owners turned Abby’s dream of a bookstore into a reality, and almost a year later, they took the leap to marry the bookstore with a space for reading, conversation and catching up over sips of coffee.
Saturday’s line, which continued to grow even after the doors opened, showed that the concept works and that the community of readers has been longing for the opportunity to enjoy their own space right next to the bookstore.
After the first guests claimed their complimentary candle gifts they stepped inside the cozy, holiday decorated interior. There, small tables and high chairs add to the intimate character of the place.
Behind the counter, two generations of Olsons and staff helpers dressed in Reader’s Cup t-shirts were ready to deliver for the customers. Without missing a beat, they made themed specials like “To Kill a Macchiato,” energy drinks like “The Hemingway Lotus,” and mocktails like “Little Women.” They speedily filled plates and takeaway boxes with baked goods and scooped locally made ice cream.
Joy streamed from every corner of the store as friends found spots to sit, share and savor the moment.
Not far from the counter, a stairway with each of its 13 steps featuring a book title, starting with Goodnight Moon and Harry Potter, leads to an upstairs nook, where a few tables offer a balcony-like view of the store buzz below and a bit of privacy.
Dressed in a t-shirt, a beaming Brandon, 24, took a few minutes to chat about the store’s beginnings.
He said he and wife Abby launched the Nook as a pop-up shop venture at first, and later opened the store with support from Abby’s parents.
Some people, he said, doubted the viability of a local bookstore in the face of a pervasive online culture of clickable virtual experiences, but local readers were drawn to the physical store and its books and they kept coming back.
“What we’ve kind of shown in the last year, people definitely are still reading books,” he said.
How it came together
While running the bookstore, the owners also kept their ears tuned to what the customers asked for and their eyes open to future prospects, so when the space next door vacated, they moved forward with the coffee shop.
The family worked hard for months to make it all happen and make it real. Abby’s mom, Debbie, created the menu, and with the help of friends, who own Bambino’s Bakery, at 2110 Kimball Ave., in Waterloo, the cookie and pastries filled the shelves.
“We always wanted to have coffee and all the baked goods for people to have the bookstore experience,” Brandon said.
The owners found encouragement in how the community embraced the Nook.
“Everybody’s always buying books and it’s awesome to see, you know, parents with their kids back in the kids sections, seating area and reading to their kids.
“People love books, they love coffee, they love events, you know, something to do. We’re so thankful for our main street because not a whole lot of places have a Main Street where you can walk down and go to all the different shops and different restaurants.”
The versatility of what downtown Cedar Falls offers and the loyalty to the Nook and the culture it has created was the reason why UNI student Cassidy Bowen, and her friends, Emma Jenson and Alyssa Skriloff, came to the opening of the new business.
“I love the idea of small mom-and-pop shops opening here,” said Bowen, who had attended the opening of the Nook, so she wanted to be present for the Reader’s Cup’s celebration as well.
“It’s such a unique business,” she continued. “You don’t find them that often around. I know when I went to New York, they had a few like this and I just think it’s amazing, like small-town Iowa that we can have stuff like this and I think a lot of people are gonna want to come here because of it.”