The ambiance of a bookstore is like nothing else, the calm and quiet space, the smell of fresh parchment, or even the silent hum of music playing overhead. The Press is no different. The new bookstore with a coffee bar was one of the cutest shops I had ever walked into in a while. Family-owned, this bookshop was a great experience to discover and I highly recommend all book lovers in the area to check out this amazing business.
The Press is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and immediately gives off the “small town” vibes. When I walked in, I was very impressed with the architecture of the building and the coziness of the interior. Upon the entrance of the shop, shelves lined the walls with gorgeous displays of books and a small cafe definitely added to its charm. I headed straight for the cafe to get myself some coffee before taking a browse through the aisle of books. I ordered my favorite drink, an iced latte, but was amazed at exactly how many syrup flavors I was able to choose from upon asking. Everything from your classic vanilla and caramel to lavender and pistachio, I truly had a hard time choosing. I ended up choosing caramel syrup with whole milk and added a warm cinnamon roll to my order. The iced latte was the perfect addition to my book-shopping experience, it had the perfect amount of flavoring and wasn’t too overpowering with the syrup. The cinnamon roll I ordered was delightful as well, but my only complaint was that it was a little dry. Other than that I loved the amount of icing on the roll, it added a sweet touch to the cinnamon and was a great fall treat.
After my taste testing, I was ready to browse through the store. As I walked around, I saw many new releases along with older ones, which created many options for new and beginning readers. Genres ranging from fantasy to romance to science fiction were great to see, especially for a small establishment. While the store was small, I loved what the store owners did with the space and created a very warm atmosphere. The books seemed reasonably priced, with nothing too different if you were to go to your local Barnes and Noble. I especially loved how they had their own merchandise corresponding to a specific book, whether that was stickers, tote bags, or mugs, it was an amazing addition to promote certain books.
Going back to the cafe, each table had a small ink pen, and pieces of paper to write encouraging notes to the next guests that encompass these chairs. When I was trying to decide where to put my positive message, I saw that there were tiny holes in the wall with the previous customer’s words of wisdom. Even if this wasn’t intentional by the owners, it was certainly a very unique touch to the shop.
Overall, this bookstore was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone who loves books or just wants a nice place to relax or study. If you have any questions about the shop, please check out their website valpopress.com. This is a very sweet, family-owned business that deserves to get the publicity that it deserves.
