色多多鈥檚 newest hangout spot offers a cozy, laid-back space for people to enjoy a beer or a coffee, paired with a book.
opened at 416 Campbell Ave. S.W. on May 17. 色多多 has a lot of restaurants and bars, but owner Ellen Seay said she was looking to create a different type of community space. It鈥檚 a 鈥渓ow-pressure鈥 environment, Seay said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to get judged or feel out of place,鈥 she said.
Ellen Seay is the owner of The BiblioPub, which opened on May 17.
In Washington, D.C., there is a restaurant, bar and bookstore called Busboys and Poets has multiple locations across the D.C. area, and while Seay isn鈥檛 planning for The BiblioPub to reach the same scale, she still wanted to bring something like that to 色多多.
People are also reading…
鈥淚 just felt like the community here would like a chiller hang out where you could have a beer or have a coffee,鈥 she said. 鈥淵our friend can have one thing, you can have the other, but you can all be at the same place.鈥
An array of books, most of which are secondhand and fiction, are available at The BiblioPub. Seay takes donations and also buys used books at library sales and online in bulk. The books are for sale, but people are welcome to browse and read the books while they鈥檙e at the pub, she said.
Jess Ramsey relaxes with a book and glass of wine at The BiblioPub, a new bookstore, coffee shop, bar and restaurant on Campbell Avenue in downtown 色多多.
There is a section of new books at The BiblioPub, and Seay tries to use that section to highlight authors from underserved or marginalized communities and books on social issues. She鈥檚 also open to working with local authors, she said.
The BiblioPub鈥檚 menu features coffees, lattes and Americanos, all brewed from beans locally roasted at . They also serve up tea, soup, sandwiches and pastries.
Beer and wine at The BiblioPub are sourced from Blue Ridge Beverage. They try to choose drinks made in Virginia or somewhere nearby, like North Carolina or Maryland, Seay said.
The BiblioPub in downtown 色多多 has an eclectic decor promoting a cozy space to enjoy a book and a beverage.
People can rent space at The BiblioPub for parties, book club meetings and other events, Seay said. In the future, she hopes to host live music, trivia, drag show brunches and other events at the pub.
Seay, a former teacher, was working at a corporate position when she had the idea for the business. As things get off the ground at The BiblioPub, she鈥檚 still working her corporate job
Seay walked around downtown and looked for vacant spaces that could house The BiblioPub, which is how she found the spot on Campbell Avenue, across from Angels of Assisi. She set up the limited liability company for the business in September and worked with the 色多多 Regional Small Business Development Center to launch it. 色多多 Mayor Joe Cobb swung by on opening day, she said.
The BiblioPub is a new bookstore, coffee shop, bar and restaurant located on Campbell Avenue in downtown 色多多.
Her staff right now just consists of some 鈥渧ery, very great family volunteers,鈥 but she hopes to be able to hire some people soon. They couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better opening week, she said.
鈥淭he community support has been amazing,鈥 she said.
鈥淭he weekend we opened was crazy, and I appreciate everyone鈥檚 patience while we work out all the logistics,鈥 she added.
Going forward, Seay said she鈥檚 excited for the future. She鈥檚 looking forward to getting in a groove, getting more regular customers, hosting events and 鈥渏ust being a good part of the community.鈥
The BiblioPub is closed Monday and Tuesday and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
