Image: Boooks on display at the Bookstore Bakery. Image by Hannah Linkowsky.
As we all know, the town of West Chester has so much to offer. Now, there is another wonderful place to visit — the Bookstore Bakery. This new and unique addition to the charming town brings another great reason to stroll the vibrant sidewalks of West Chester. The outside of the building is white brick and the locally-themed display windows make going inside quite enticing. Upon entering, you are immediately hit with the delicious scent of the fresh, in-house baked pastries, along with the aroma of their coffee.
On one side of the store is a wall of books featuring bestsellers across a variety of genres, including books written by local authors. On the other side of the store is a pastry case full of delicious desserts. If you follow the Bookstore Bakery @bookstorebakerywc, you will find that they post updates of their daily pastry offerings. When visiting, I ordered a chocolate macaroon dipped in chocolate with a chocolate ganache filling. Talk about chocolatey goodness! I have to say, it was excellent. I would have loved to order one of everything, which is just another reason to go back. Not only does the store have a terrific book and pastry selection, but the staff was so kind. Immediately after walking through the door, they were very welcoming. They answered any questions I threw their way and after I finished my purchase, they offered me a free bookmark. I mean, who doesn’t want a free bookmark?!
What makes the Bookstore Bakery even more special to the town is their connection to the West Chester University (WCU) community. Included on the wall of books, you will find West Chester Faculty’s own Professor Jaqueline Alnes’ book, “The Fruit Cure,” on display. It is great to see support for WCU represented among the books. Not only do they support WCU in the store, but also on campus. Bookstore Bakery catered an event on March 27, 2024, in the Philips Autograph Library. It was hosted by WCU for Professor Ervin’s book launch.
The Bookstore Bakery is involved not only with the university, but also the community members who live in and around the borough. They have a creative chalk sign out on the sidewalk that they change up with some awesome art. Even the designs on the bookmarks they give out feature local artists’ work. Talk about supporting one another!
If you are taking a leisurely walk around West Chester Borough anytime soon, stop by the Bookstore Bakery, located at 145 W Gay Street, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Pick up one of your favorite books or a new one by a local author and get yourself a yummy treat. You will not be sorry!
Anna Weinstein is a first-year English major. AW1010895@wcupa.edu.