Every month, our series Shelf Life will profile a business in Greater Boston that’s part of the region's thriving independent bookstore community. This month we explore Beacon Hill Books and Cafe, a part restaurant, part multilevel bookstore nestled in the picturesque and bustling Beacon Hill Neighborhood.
Melissa Fetter had an image in her mind of a townhouse transformed into a bookstore with a restaurant on the ground floor — and she turned that into reality when the space at 71 Charles St. became available. When she purchased the building in September 2019, she had no idea the world was about to change, along with the book industry.
“What was already a complicated task of renovating a building from the 1800s in the city of Boston in a historic district, add to that being in the middle of the pandemic,” she said.
After three years of renovating the building, Beacon Hill Books and Cafe opened in October 2022, and business has been booming ever since.
“The benefit of three years is that it gave me lots of time to come up with new ideas and ways to make it more and more special,” Fetter said. “I think what has made this space so successful is incredible attention to detail. From the wood carvings, to the colors, to the curation of the books. Everything has been very, very well thought out.”
There are many hidden, thought-out details throughout the shop. Take, for example, the store's mascot Paige, a squirrel whose story is told in a book that Fetter had commissioned titled “Paige of Beacon Hill”, available for sale in the shop.
When you walk into the store, delicate acoustic music plays as the smell of freshly baked pastries waft in between shelves stocked with approximately 10,000 book titles.
On the bottom floor of the store is a cafe, fit with an outdoor garden eating area. The next level is the nonfiction and gifts floor. As you take the winding, narrow stairs up the 20-foot-wide townhouse, you get to the fiction section, and above it, a floor for young adult and children's books.
There’s a whole section for Persephone Books, a publisher that reprints neglected fiction and nonfiction books by mostly women writers from the mid-twentieth century.
Customer Morgan Mekertichian, from Roslindale, said she had never been to a bookstore that had been so thoughtfully put together.
“I think that the way that it's laid out is so whimsical, it's so charming,” Merkertichian said. “It's like you really want to settle in. And I think when we walked in, it just smelled like baked goods. And I was like, I'll stay, this is amazing. I think it’s just very inviting and cozy.”
Fetter already knew what went into sustaining the longevity of an artistic institution. She serves on the boards of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Boston Athenaeum, and as an advisory board member for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. However, the role that social media can play was a revelation to her. She didn’t fully appreciate its power until someone posted a video of the store on TikTok, which amassed almost a million views. Now, the store has over 55,000 followers on Instagram.
@bostontourguide Wait until you see the interactive train in the kid's room 🚂📚✨Beacon Hill's newest 5 story book store, cafe, and wine bar truly feels like a fairytale ✨📖🥂#boston #books #explore #thingstodo #foodie #tea #kids #massachusetts #travel #read #nerdy #bookworm #fall #cozy #newengland ♬ Simply The Best - Billianne
“Yes, there are a lot of people coming to take their selfies to post on Instagram, but fortunately, they're buying a book while they're at it,” Fetter said.
Alex Onyiago, who lives in Western Massachusetts, said she came to the store because she saw it on social media.
“Truthfully, we have seen it all over Instagram. If I’m being 100% honest, that’s what brought us in here,” Onyiago said. “But it’s just so cute and so nice, and they have a pretty great selection. It’s a good experience.”
Now, the store is trying to keep up with demand. The inventory that the store expected to last a couple months has already churned over five times, with the store selling 55,000 books since opening.
The store was so popular when it first opened that they hired staff just to control entry and lines on the street during weekends.
Getting a reservation at the cafe is tough, with most online spots taken daily. But walk-ins are encouraged for the restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and after-work sips and savories from Boston chef Colleen Suhanosky.
The store hosts author events and literary roundtables throughout the week and is also available to be used for private events, such as weddings and special dinners.
Julia Rothacker, who lives in Cambridge, said she is “completely obsessed” with the store.
“I came on opening day because I was so excited to have a bookstore that was curated and so thoughtful in the books that they brought in,” she said. “I think the book collection is incredibly thoughtful and well curated. They also do a wonderful job of having other fun things that I like.”
Fetter said she is aware that she accidentally hit the timing perfectly to open a bookstore and restaurant, when the business of books has been booming more than ever.
“I think because we witnessed what it really looks like when your local stores go away, I think we are all much more dedicated now in walking the talk,” she said. “None of us want to live in a community where you walk down the main street and it's just boarded up with 'for rent' signs. People are now absolutely invested in ensuring that their corner stores are doing well.”
Tufts University student Hana Tzou has worked in children's book publishing and is all too familiar with how Amazon has affected the independent bookstore market. She tries as much as she can to buy her books from local stores.
“I think I saw a TikTok [about the store] months ago. And I love reading, I love bookstores, and I really wanted to come check it out,” she said. “And I think I've been to most of the bookstores in the Greater Boston area. So, I've got to come in the new one.”
Fetter said she hopes the store can be a destination for locals and tourists alike.
“We want them to arrive and find that there is definitely something that speaks to them in terms of genre or a specific book,” she said. “And nothing pleases me more than when someone will say to me, 'You know, I can't get over the diversity of books and the diversity of points of view.' That just makes me feel so good.”
The business will always try to find new ways to stay fresh and interesting, Fetter said, whether it be one day expanding or opening up online book sales.
“I hope this is not just a trendy thing for the moment,” she said. “I hope it's a sustained influence in our society that people love to read and they love to support local stores, not just bookstores, but all local stores.”
This article is part of the ongoing series "Shelf Life," where GBH News' Haley Lerner will profile local, independent bookstores. Up next: Rozzie Bound.
