Cuppa Tahoe, a combination café and bookstore, opened this past weekend in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported.
Owner Sandra Santané told the newspaper that she was influenced by cafes she and friends frequented in Holland, where she grew up, where "they would play board games, socialize, sip on drinks like coffee and tea, and get small snacks. These cafés were where collaboration, connections and ideas sprouted."
Such a "special experience" was missing in South Lake Tahoe, she said. The connection made with a printed book is "magic," she continued.
"For those who want to read a book while enjoying a cup of coffee, Cuppa has 'read me' shelves that include the classics and the latest novels," the Tahoe Daily Tribune observed. "In front of the fire on a funky green velvet couch, she created a cozy space to unwind and get lost in a story."
Under California pandemic rules, Cuppa Tahoe was allowed to open on Saturday, although the conference room and co-working space can't open until phase 3. Santané has social-distancing guidelines at the door that include sanitation, and has added optional plexiglass walls to create barriers between people.