Ren’s Coffeehouse & Books opens Thursday June 27th in the historic old Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, taking over two separate units of a single building; the right side focused on the coffee and drinks, and the left side is the bookstore.
I first wrote about Ren and her Coffeehouse/Bookstore back in Fall of 2023, and since then she’s been working hard on getting everything ready for the Grand “Soft” Opening tomorrow.
Her new coffee shop on the Black Horse Pike is located between the Church Street traffic signal intersection, and Cleveland Ave.
A big inspiration for Ren in opening the coffeehouse and bookstore goes back to when as a young musician she found comfort and support playing at open mics in a local coffee shop… it just felt like home to her, a safe space where she could be herself… and Ren says it played a big part in who she is today!
And as excited Ren is to open her new coffee house, she tells me she’s eager to get to a point where she can host a variety of events and guests including book clubs, open mics and more.
But let’s not get too far ahead… for the next few weeks she’s focused on the operations and customers of the Coffeehouse and Bookstore, with initial hours set as; Thurs & Fri 8-4, Sat 9-3. Follow along at Facebook or Instagram for latest updates!
As you would expect Ren, has a full coffeehouse barista coffee machines, and she’ll be offering coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, tea and more.
And recognizing that right now it’s summertime and we’re in a bit of a heat wave, her menu has been rounded out with other cooler specialty drinks such as her Fizzies, which are her own recipe seltzer based flavored beverages.
I had a Pineapple-Vanilla Fizzie which has a flavor that reminded me of the famous Dole Whips. In my mind it instantly brought me to a tropical island tiki bar, as I sipped on my refreshing Fizzies drink!
Ren’s Coffeehouse & Books
I’ve had a chance to stop in a couple times to visit Ren and check out the interior, and it really is an awesome design!
I told Ren this morning that her final store is something that I just simply wouldn’t have had the vision for… it’s comfortable yet lively, organized but always a surprise to be found, and also has just enough space in the design for special events such as book clubs, game nights, book signings and even music events!
In my visit today just looking through the shelves… “Ohh cool, a fun collection of coffee mugs!”. “Clue? Life?! Oh wow, I would love to play those games again!”
The front of the shop has large windows on both sections, letting in the action of the sidewalk.. and plenty of natural light.
Ren kept the two front entrance doors available, which allows customers to walk directly into the coffee shop on the right, or the bookstore on the left. Inside, an open doorway connects the two spaces.
The coffeeshop side of the space has a cool Northern vibe to it, with a slate blue wall coloring on two walls and a beautiful snow covered mountain mural along a larger exposed space.
Another wall features a lighter beige coloring, with tall Evergreen trees painted on it.
Add-in the custom multi-toned wood counter area, the coffee shop style gives me a Northern Maine or Washington State feel!
The bookstore side takes on its own personality with smartly placed bookshelves and a few center tables… the white furniture and the brighter lighting makes it easy to read the numerous titles of new and used books that she has chosen for sale.
Along the front window are several very comfortable seats.
The books offered for sale are a selection of new and used books…separated into well labeled sections.
The center tables typically will feature newer releases, as well as suggestions based on the season… One table features “Summer Beach Reads” choices.
A section in the back of the room on the other side of a small divider features a variety of children’s books as well as the game collection. A center table is in the center of the space is perfect for meetings, laptops, events, book signings, gaming and more.
As mentioned Ren is opening with a limited three day schedule as part of the soft opening, and also considering that people are extra busy during the warmer summer months.
Soon should be working in additional hours as well as a schedule of events. I know she has plans coming up soon for writing classes as well as session from new beginnings life coaching!
So come out and support Ren in her new business and follow her on Instagram and Facebook to keep up on all of the latest happenings at her coffeehouse.
Links and Location
Ren’s Coffeehouse & Books (Coming Soon)
26 N Black Horse Pike
Blackwood NJ
