Striving to be a place where people can connect their love for books and quiet community with their appreciation for spirits, Books & Brews is the latest addition to the emerging restaurant scene in Tucker.
Law school graduates Nate Monga, his girlfriend, Quinelle Bethelmie, and her mother Irene, envisioned a place where people could work, socialize and find comfort in a place unlike the often-rowdy establishments where one would usually find alcoholic beverages.
That vision became Books & Brews, which opened in mid-August along Lawrenceville Highway.
“We wanted a place where people could enjoy the vibe and sit with a book,” Quinelle Bethelmie said. “Books & Brews came out of that.”
The trio devoted more than two years obtaining all the necessary permits to build out the space, with Irene “doing all the heavy lifting,” Bethemie said. “After that, it took more than 10 months to get to opening.”
Related Link: More Tucker coverage from Rough Draft
Books & Brews currently offers eight beers on tap and 10 different wines, as well as coffee, tea, and a limited food menu. Books for sale, now numbering more than 1,300, run the gamut from young adult to travel to science fiction. They plan to increase the book titles available for purchase based on customer suggestions and recommendations.
The next step will involve expanding menu options when construction on the kitchen finishes later this fall. Hearty stews like lamb and chicken will dominate the menu at Books & Brews.
Monga and Quinelle, recent law school graduates, have already taken the bar exam and are waiting on the results. They hope to weave the two seemingly dissimilar careers together in some way. Just how they will do that, the couple said, isn’t exactly clear at the moment.
One goal, however, is to offer Books & Brews as a host for book club meetings during its off-hours. Bethelmie said one club has already scheduled a gathering, and she hopes for more clubs to meet regularly at Books & Brews in the future.
Since opening in mid-August, the trio said they’ve already felt a lot of love from Tucker residents.
“It’s cool to be invited to be a part of the community,” Bethelmie said. “I grew up in Stone Mountain and spent a lot of time in Tucker, so it was just a natural fit.”
Books & Brews: 4316 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite 110, Tucker. Open Wednesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
