Bookstore/Tea Bar Coming to Smithville

As a child living on Pitney Road in Galloway, Wendy Birkbeck loved to spend her free time riding her bike to Historic Smithville.

Back then, she explained, the Smithville Shoppes—now known as the Village Greene at Historic Smithville—was a family-oriented tourist destination that catered mainly to adults.

But now, the “vibe” of the historic village is changing and becoming more current with stores like Underground, a punk oriented boutique and Herban Legend, a fair trade store.

Birkbeck hopes to make her own contribution to this change by opening a tea bar and bookstore, which will sell first edition copies of classic novels as well as a range of other products.

A long-time Lewis Carroll fan, Birkbeck intends to call the shop Through the Looking Glass, scheduled to open in April.

While other store owners on the Village Greene hope the fledgling shop will bring more college students and young professionals to the area, some are circumspect about whether a bookstore can survive in the digital age.

The last bookstore and café that opened nearby in the Smithville Town Center, Sherlocks BooksNcafe, closed in December.

And the grim times have certainly not been limited to small bookstores.

Recently, Borders Group Inc., the second largest bookstore chain in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy and announced it would close 30 percent of its stores nationwide.

Birkbeck hopes to overcome the digitizing of literature by offering specialty books such as signed copies and first editions as well as hosting open mic sessions and “poetry slams.”

She also plans to have free Wi-Fi available for customers.

But mainly, she said, with the popularity of tea houses on the rise, the store’s assortment of organic and fair trade teas will hopefully bring in customers.

“I want it to be very whimsical and fun,” Birkbeck said. “No Lipton tea bags here.”

Other store owners, though aware of the current plight of print media, are excited about what Birkbeck’s store will bring to the Smithville community.

“You can feel the diversity coming to Smithville,” Brian Johnson, the owner of Herban Legend Message Therapy said. “I think [Through the Looking Glass] will add another dynamic.”

Hopefully, he added, the store will “spark a little nostalgia.”

Johnson also mentioned that because other stores on the Village Greene close early, the tea bar might also help bring a “little nightlife” to the area.

Amy Rabbit, the owner of The Green Rabbit on the Village Greene said Through the Looking Glass may attract younger customers as well as families.

With a mix of trendy offerings, like novel organic teas and “simple,” more traditional products, like first-editions copies of books, the store will be appealing to all ages, she said.