Niche Book Bar, a bookstore and wine bar with an emphasis on books by Black authors, will host its grand opening celebration tomorrow on Independent Bookstore Day, On Milwaukee reported.
Located at 1937 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Niche Book Bar first opened its doors in a limited capacity late last year. Since then, owner has been filling the shelves, expanding hours, and hosting events. Per On Milwaukee, it is the city's first Black- and female-owned bookstore since the Reader's Choice closed in 2017.
In addition to books for all ages, gifts and cards are available, and the bar serves wine produced by Black winemakers, coffee, tea, kombucha, and baked goods. Niche's event offerings include writing workshops, storytime sessions, and author events.
Weston first decided to open a bookstore in Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood in 2018. In 2019 she began organizing the Black Author's Pop Up Book Fair and started to explore options for a bricks-and-mortar space. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, she pivoted to running a book bike, and in 2021 she decided to purchase a 2,640-square-foot property that was previously owned by the city.
The sale took a long time to close, and renovation efforts were hindered by one contractor absconding with a deposit and another severely underbidding. Support from the community, in the form of a crowdfunding campaign as well as community members volunteering their time, helped her bring the bookstore over the finish line.
"People really came together in here," Weston told On Milwaukee.