Daydream Bookstore Cafe, a romance-focused bookstore and cafe, debuted last month in Arlington, Tex., the Shorthorn reported. Located at 380 East Front St., 110, the bookstore offers a curated selection of romance titles while the cafe serves a variety of coffee drinks. Owner Alma Sardas welcomed customers on March 14 for Daydream's soft opening before hosting a grand opening celebration on April 4.
Sardas is a lifelong lover of books and had been working on opening Daydream for a year and a half. Initially she'd hoped to open in January, but permits and health inspections made the process take longer than expected. Nevertheless, the community was always supportive, no matter how many times she had to reschedule.
"I am genuinely shocked with the amount of feedback and support and everything," Sardas told the Shorthorn.
Daydream already hosts four book clubs, with one focused on contemporary romance, another on dark romance, a third on romantasy, and a fourth on LGBTQ+ romance. Looking ahead, Sardas plans to expand the store's event offerings.
"I just want to be known as a girl who followed a passion, who had a dream, who is striving and working her tail off every single day to make it happen," Sardas added. "And with the support of my family, my loved ones and the amazing community that we have here, we’re able to do that."