Oldspeak Book Beer Bar has opened at 3640 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City, Idaho, featuring a "mix of books you can buy and spirits you can try," Idaho News 6 reported. The goal for co-owners Chelsea Major, Shelley Searle, and Adam Fleck is to "offer something for everybody, as long as you're 21, of course. Whether it's wine, beer, global reads or curated literature, Oldspeak Bar welcomes all walks of life. The spot is booming, highlighting local artists, hosting literary events, and soon, beer education classes."
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| Oldspeak owners Chelsea Major, Shelley Searle, and Adam Fleck | |
Oldspeak began when Chelsea Major, who also owns Lit Room bookstore, and Shelley Searle, co-owner of craft brewery Alliteration Ales, met and "realized they both had the same dream, a place where you could grab a drink, a good read and just hang out," Idaho News 6 noted.
"Well, we got the books," Major said.
"And we got the beer," Searle added.
Last December, they launched a crowdfunding campaign to help open Oldspeak that raised more than $35,000.
For their new, combined venture, Major said they "have local artists' goods. We're constantly looking to do literary events, community events, educational things that feel really interesting.... We're not a quiet library. You can buy the books, we love our libraries, but it's going to be a lot louder in here. We want to encourage that, encourage conversations. But, you know, in the afternoon we want to kick it up a little bit. We're not a rowdy club, we're the first place you start the night. It's a good time."
In an Instagram post earlier this month, Oldspeak noted: "Last week we welcomed in our community and were positively overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and compliments. After months of staring at spreadsheets, updating Asana tasks, calling for consultations, praying for permitting, pontificating through paint fumes, not murdering our business partners, successfully completing our crowdfunding campaign (truly thank you thank you thank you), and painstakingly ordering alllll the books, the book beer bar is OPEN. Come say hi. We're delighted to see you."