Bookeater, a cafe and bookstore selling new and used titles, has opened in Rochester, N.Y., the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
Co-owners Chad Ellis and Peter Mastrodonato opened Bookeater in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood roughly a month ago. The store, which is located at 836 S. Clinton Ave., spans two floors, with the cafe on the first floor and most of the book inventory on the second.
Bookeater carries around 500 new titles, mostly in paperback, with a variety of genres represented. There is also a small collection of used books curated by Archivist Books, a Black-owned mobile bookstore based in Rochester. While Bookeater has yet to host events, the owners plan to have book signings as well as movie nights in the store's backyard. They're also considering a take-out supper club.
Ellis told the Democrat & Chronicle that the inventory is "growing steadily but slowly," and as a whole the store has not quite "fulfilled what we had in mind or what we envisioned, but we're on the right track."
The cafe, meanwhile, features plenty of sandwiches and wraps, ranging from breakfast sandwiches to banh mi wraps, along with salads and fresh fruit. Beverage options include coffee and espresso drinks, bubble tea, fresh juice, and more.
Mastrodonato, who is head chef of the cafe, noted that he's working on adding more vegan options. "I want to give people what they want. I'm trying to be very responsive to the customers, especially at the beginning, before we nail down a menu."