The Habitat ReStore Café in Cape May Court House has expanded, with more space for hundreds of used books, albums, CDs, DVDs and videos, as well as new culinary delights. The redesigned ReStore Café Bookstore is proud to partner with three local businesses, Harry and Beans Coffee, Empanada Mamas and Cape May Soda, to bring some of the best food and drink delights in Cape May County to ReStore visitors.
The Café Bookstore concept was born after a U-Haul truck showed up at the donation drop-off, full of books, comic books and vinyl records. “We really didn’t expect the books and music to be such a hit with our, but there is clearly still a big interest in our community in the “old school” media formats – print books, physical CDs, DVDs and videos,“ Shawn Lockyear, Executive Director of Habitat Cape May, said. As people donate their physical books and music in lieu of electronic formats, Habitat is eager to take them as donations for the Café Bookstore. “I know I don’t want to take my iPad to read books on the beach,” Lockyear said. “So the ReStore is a great place to get your summer reading material at a steep discount and even donate it back when you’re finished. I love the idea of a book purchased at the Cape May ReStore having a little sand between the pages”.
The Café Bookstore has been enlarged and is now equipped to serve an expanded menu of food and beverages. In addition to coffee and espresso drinks featuring the wonderful locally-roasted Harry and Beans coffee, Habitat has partnered with Brooke Dodd of Empanada Mamas and Jim and Diana Cutshall of Cape May Soda, both popular fixtures at local farmers’ markets and festivals. Brooke’s Empanadas have a huge local following, and the Café Bookstore is now serving warm egg and cheese “breakfast empanadas,” as well as other flavors like chicken and cheese, black bean and corn, and sweet potato with apple. The empanadas are oven-bakes, and the delicious vegan dough is a secret recipe made with flour and corn meal. The Café has installed a three-soda tap, courtesy of Cape May Soda. Cape May Soda is naturally handcrafted in small batches, using local and seasonal fruit. Current flavors at the store include their best-selling Cream Soda, Cape May County’s own Beach Plum Soda and a tasty low-calorie option, Strawberry Seltzer. Beautiful etched growlers are available for purchase and can be refilled at the Restore Café for $5.
The ReStore Café Bookstore is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an earlier opening time likely starting in the spring, when we will open our sidewalk tables. Want to donate your books, CDs, record albums, or movies? Bring them by the store, or call our donation hotline to arrange a free pickup, (609)-463-0244.
