First Year of Books & Coffee
It’s hard to believe we’ve almost reached a year and a half since our family opened By the Hearth Bookshop and Coffeehouse. What an amazing journey. In early 2023, we began systematically exploring Iowa’s southeastern corner. Having decided to embark on a new business venture, we scoured the cities and small towns within an hour radius from our new home. We toured numerous commercial locations, spoke with knowledgeable locals, and took note of economic and population stats. Having established several successful businesses in the past, we knew what to look for...a community that not only takes pride in it’s history but also holds ambition for the future. While this may describe many towns, none met all our criteria quite like Bloomfield.
On a cold January morning we closed on the purchase of 111 E Jefferson Street and began the long and arduous remodeling process. Built in 1944, our building is one of the newer structures on the square. Partnering with local contractors, we gutted the space, built walls, and set out to create a warm and inviting atmosphere reflecting our business name and mission. With over seven thousand square feet to work with, we constructed a wall to separate the showroom and created what has now become an extremely popular event space. We hadn’t yet realized just how much our new community would appreciate such a wonderful place to meet.
With more than two decades experience in the specialty coffee industry, we knew the addition of a small coffee shop would pair well with our book emporium. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of coffee shops source food service necessities and also completely build and create from the ground up. This made establishing a coffeehouse the easy part. We quickly realized Bloomfield craved a coffee shop that also provided quality food and goodies which took things to a new level as our menu began to grow. Today, we’ve expanded our offerings to include both specialty coffee beverages and an ever-growing selection of gourmet sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, breakfast options and fresh desserts and pastries. Turns out Bloomfield enjoys quality cooking and we really enjoy serving our new friends.
These past months we’ve had the privilege of hosting numerous special events which include celebrating National Author Day with eleven amazing local published writers. Live music performances, new book launch events, and poetry classes are among the many exclusive occasions held at the shop. Each Saturday we feature our Little Town Story Time, where eager young ones enjoy the lost art of listening to a great story. In addition, our children’s department has grown to include hundreds of exciting and wonderful books for kids of all ages. With a big purple chair, comfy floor pillows and a bright green shag rug, little readers make themselves right at home. But perhaps the most popular feature for this age group is the “ramp!” Every toddler who makes their way to the lower section of the shop can’t resist repetitively climbing back to the top of our carpeted ramp and running full speed to the bottom and back again. It’s a blast!
This year we discovered Bloomfield’s need for a large and inviting yet practical place to hold special events. From birthday parties, class reunions, bridal and baby showers, funeral receptions, graduation celebrations, and fun family get-togethers, our Event Room has become a popular hangout for all occasions. Many of our customers take advantage of our catering service which includes a large menu of breakfast, lunch, or dinner options. With a extra large screen TV, performance level sound system, and plenty of tables and seating for everyone, the space is already getting booked for 2027.
Now, well into our second year serving Bloomfield and surrounding communities, we look forward to discovering even more new friends, continuing to build great relationships and delivering high quality products and services. Our coffeehouse menu will continue to delight while our book selection grows and special events fill the calendar. We’re excited to see what year two has in store for us all!