Located at 2805 N Tamiami Trail, Shelf Indulgence Used Book Cafe was a book lover’s paradise, offering a selection of secondhand books in a cozy atmosphere with coffee, sandwiches, baked goods, and more. It closed on May 17 of this year.
“Thank you for being a part of our journey friends,” said a post published to Instagram in April, announcing the details of the closure.
Since then, the space has remained unused. But now a new cafe project is preparing to bring it new life. It’s called Comptoir, or The Counter Café; and, starting this fall, it will be serving up coffee and espresso drinks, fresh bread and pastries, crêpes, paninis, and specialty sandwiches. You’ll also find quiches, soups, salads, and desserts.
“We’ve been working on cleaning and updating for the past few weeks and are hopeful we can open in the first week of October,” co-owner Cemantha Crain told What Now in an email conversation this week. “Daily hours will be 7:30-5:30, 7 days a week.”
Crain is opening Comptoir in partnership with her partner Gregory, who is heading up the menu and back-of-house.
“[Gregory] is from a small village in Provence and most recently launched the C’est La Vie in Lakewood Ranch,” Crain said. “His passion is food and wine. He formerly ran a wine-importing business and is looking forward to expanding our offering with pop-up wine dinners – it would be great if there’s enough demand to extend our hours into the evening!”
Even with the opening some weeks out, Crain says Comptoir is already finding its place in the community.
“As we’ve been working at the restaurant, it’s been really fun to meet Ringling students and neighborhood residents who stop in. We are both eager to connect with the community and grow.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated with comments from the business owner.
