Today the Erie Book Store opened up a coffee shop inside! I’m so excited because after moving to Erie in February, I’ve been looking for a cute little independently-owned coffee shop (I’m not much into chains) and haven’t had any luck. Also, I love the Erie Book Store because they are really involved in the community & they even sell art and gifts from local artists in their shop!
The coffee shop is called Flagship City Cafe, and the whole theme is nautical, even down to the drinks! The drink I got is called War of 1812, and it has espresso and amaretto. It was so good! The next one I want to try is The Crows Nest – Espresso, steamed milk, chocolate and peanut butter syrup topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Supposedly it tastes like a peanut butter cup – yum!
They also have some yummy looking pastries and a coffee discount card! After buying 10 you get 1 free!
But, one of the coolest things about the cafe is that it has so many handmade personal touches! Mimi, the owner’s fiance, made these amazing vases by hand to fit in with the nautical theme.
And, there are handmade coffee cozies for sale, which Mimi crochets while waiting for customers! (And by the way – there’s even a knitting club that meets every Friday at the Erie Book Store! Now that the cafe is open, the meetings will be in the cafe over coffee!)
So, that’s the cafe… but bookstore is equally as unique and charming! It has so much history, character, and touches from local artists.
The first thing I noticed when I first went to the Erie Book Store is that they have art from local artists all over the walls! They let me put a few paintings up in the children’s book section (near the entrance). And they are carrying Treasure Hunt in the Enchanted Forest, the book I illustrated!
They also sell gifts and cards from local artists! There’s all kinds of cool knitted hats, bookmarks, etc.
They have all kinds of old books and even old newspapers! And cute places to sit, too :) I could spend forever in there.
Oh yeah, they also have an Erie Book Store Facebook page where they post about cool events that they hold at the shop!
So in conclusion, you can probably see why the Erie Book Store is now one of my favorite places in Erie :) If you’re in Erie, make sure you stop by and check out the coffee shop, local art, and unique books!