Just a year after Abby Olson and Brandon Conrad opened the doors to their local bookstore, The Nook, Abby’s parents, Debbie and Darron Olson, moved in next door and opened a coffee shop called Reader’s Cup in November of 2024.
“When the opportunity came up that the space next door was available, it seemed like writing on the wall that we should take that over and conjoin the two spaces,” says Debbie Olson, owner of Reader’s Cup.
“When Abby opened the bookstore, she was kind of limited on space but always wanted to offer coffee. So, it was always a conversation,” Debbie Olson continues. The family’s initial thought was that combining the bookstore and coffee shop would create a more inviting space for customers to linger.
With a connecting entrance between the businesses, customers can access both the bookstore and coffee shop at their convenience. Along with the homey atmosphere, “It makes it more of a gathering space for readers, too, rather than just a shopping experience,” Abby Olson says.
Debbie and Darron are new to owning a coffee shop. However, they have an entrepreneurial background, owning The Patch, a local pumpkin patch. They’ve applied their prior knowledge while remaining open to new learning experiences. “Just like with anything, you research and take the time to invest in it,” says Debbie Olson. The hardest part was the time leading up to the opening, as all of the work was done within the family. Although it may have appeared easy to the public, Abby Olson says, “It was anything but easy for the family.”
Their biggest surprise has been the overwhelming support from the people of the Cedar Falls community. “The opening was overwhelming in terms of how many people showed up compared to what we were expecting. It was a lot, but in a good way,” says Debbie Olson.
The positive response from the community has continued. “I’m glad that people have chosen us to be their go-to,” Darron Olson says. The Reader’s Cup now has several regulars, “every morning, they stop here on their way to work, and we get to be that early-morning happy face they encounter to get their day started right.”
The Nook and Reader’s Cup continue to create new opportunities for their customers. Abby Olson often plans and promotes events, while Debbie Olson creates specialty menus to accompany them. “It’s kind of a win-win,” Debbie Olson says, “They can utilize each other.”
On Feb. 8th, The Nook and Reader’s Cup hosted the first of two Books After Dark events, the second being on Feb. 14th. The events include Blind Dates with a Book, specialty drink flights and Book Boyfriend Bingo with prizes.
The joint businesses host similar events weekly. You’ll likely find at least one of the owners in the shop at all times, whether at a book club or behind the coffee counter. “We enjoy being with each other, and we’re a close family, so it doesn’t feel like a lot to work together,” says Debbie Olson.
When asked about their plans for the year, the family said, “Secret plans,” in unison. Abby added, “We just have fun with it. It’s fun creating new things. We always like to continue growing and coming up with new ideas.”
