The Browsing Room Bookstore & Café opened recently at 1301 East 9th Street, first floor, in the Galleria at Erieview Tower, Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland magazine reported that it was "a labor of love" for sisters and co-owners Catherine Kassouf and Jean Khoury, who renovated the location over the past year.
The space had originally caught Kassouf's eye while she was walking with her husband through the building. "I just stopped, looked at my husband, and said, 'There's my bookstore,' " she said. He replied: "What? You have a bookstore?" Kassouf opened her wallet and pulled out an old piece of paper, on which was written "The Browsing Room Bookstore." She had carried that paper for decades, since graduating from Ohio State University.
The retired nurse anesthetist has finally seen her dream materialize, Cleveland magazine observed, adding that inside "you'll find books inspired by her travels to more than 50 countries, where she'd often stop by local bookstores."
"You find these incredible authors translated in English, and reading them, you understand the difference in thought of each person from each country. You realize people think so differently from one another and the way they tell their stories emulates that," Kassouf said. "I want to have a rich section of authors from the world I get to travel in, and also worlds I don't travel in."
The Browsing Room Bookstore's space features "hand-picked cushy living room chairs, along with cups and saucers for beverages, adding small touches to make customers feel more cozy. Kassouf and Khoury got a custom live edge wood countertop from Byler's in Amish Country," Cleveland magazine wrote.
"I wanted it to look like you walked in my house, with my books, and to feel like you're home," Kassouf said. "This is a place to sit quietly, read a book, order books, have a nice cup of coffee, have a little something to eat."
Khoury added: "My passion is helping her. I love her so much. My passion is helping her realize this dream, and it's coming together pretty nicely."
They also hope to create a community gathering space that will host educational talks and rentals for events. "We're trying to make it an open space with the community," Khoury said.