The Capitola Book Cafe is squeezed into the corner of a strip mall on 41st Avenue, in between a movie theater and a Rite Aid.
Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, co-owner of the thirty-three year-old bookstore, loves to see the surprise on customers’ faces when they walk in for the first time.
“It’s not in a super sexy location,” she admits. “It’s not City Lights [in San Francisco]. But this place unfolds beyond these doors into a huge space with beautiful warm wood and amazing local paintings, and the cafe. When people walk through these doors for the first time, they’re always captured by it.”
Wendy’s right. Just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it’s best not to judge the Capitola Book Cafe by its location or facade, because as soon as you walk in you’ll want to stay a while. Beyond having what every solid independent bookshop has — a knowledgeable staff, a great Community Reads section, a good selection of new and used books, and the ability to have books they may be missing shipped to them overnight for your convenience — this place also boasts an antiques section, frequent readings and events, and a full-blown cafe inside.
The independently-owned cafe, which is surrounded by paintings illustrating different works of literature, is run by what Wendy calls a “ridiculously good baker” who serves up fresh breads, croissants, paninis, and more. The cafe also is lucky enough to have a beer and wine license.
“That can be quite a decadent experience, to walk around looking at books with a glass of wine or a beer,” Wendy says.
Readings at the book cafe include both authors of national renown, like David Sedaris, Reyna Grande, and George Packer, and authors whose work is relevant to local interest, such as urban farming and sustainability. This all contributes to the open environment that Wendy thinks all bookstores should strive to have.
“One of the best things about an independent bookstore is that it’s a place where people can gather in real space, and real time, in an actual location and talk about ideas,” she says in reference to their events and readings. “It’s like a grocery store of ideas.”
The Capitola Book Cafe is now the last standing bookstore — independent or otherwise — in Capitola, after Inklings in the Capitola Mall closed in June of 2013. Times have been hard for the bookstore, and they’ve had to struggle to make ends meet. They are currently in talks with their landlord to reduce the size of the store and have a second business join them in the building in an effort to reduce their rent. Wendy says they plan to have a solution worked out in the near future.
“We’ve become an iconic part of Capitola,” she tells me near the end of our conversation. “We don’t plan to go anywhere.”
Capitola Book Cafe
1475 41st Ave
Capitola, CA 95010
(831)462-4415
