Brown Sugar Cafe & Books is staying in Katy, Tex., following an incredible outpouring of community support, ABC13 reported.
Store owner Raven White, who opened the bookstore and cafe in early 2022, had announced in January that she would be closing the store and moving to Chicago, Ill. Almost immediately, White told Fox26, she received hundreds of messages from community members who were "not having it." They asked her to reconsider her decision, shared stories about the bookstore and told White how much the bookstore's diverse inventory and inclusive mission meant to them.
While White still intends to bring Brown Sugar Cafe & Books to other communities eventually, Katy will remain its "very first home." After deciding to stay in Katy, White and the Brown Sugar team held a reopening celebration on April 19 that saw more than a hundred people stop by for a "phenomenal block party-style event" that included appearances from plenty of independent vendors.
People came from as far away as Galveston, White recalled, and it was "confirmation that what we're doing is right." The surge of support "meant everything."
In addition to selling books and coffee, Brown Sugar is a community space and venue for local artists to showcase their work. White also holds events, from author talks to a summer camp program, and the bookstore even has a podcast room. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand Brown Sugar's mission by partnering with local libraries and school districts especially.