History over Hot Drinks: Open Book Coffee

There’s a little coffee shop I know, where the roasts are local and shelves are lined with history books. This café is called Open Book Coffee.

Nothing quite pulls at my heartstrings like a local coffee shop. To be completely honest, I had no clue that this cafe/ bookstore existed a few weeks ago. It was entirely by chance that I discovered its existence.

There’s a specific book that I have been searching for online, in bookstores and thrift shops. The Terry Punch book, called “Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia” is one of the must-reads when it comes to Nova Scotian genealogy. I had to have it. I saw the book on Nimbus’s online store and thought it was out of stock. There were a couple of other books I wanted to order (watch out for upcoming book reviews) so I sent them off an email. Turns out, Punch’s book was in stock but the website had not updated. I called to pay for the books over the phone. I was told that I could come to Nimbus Publishing and pick up the book instead of paying for shipping. I agreed to drop by the next Monday morning.

Google Maps threw me for a bit of a loop finding the publisher, so I decided to park at the end of the street and walk up. Nimbus is located in a typical business park styled building on Strawberry Hill Street. The area gives warehouse vibes. I popped in and picked up my books. The wonderful staff had already packed them for me.

I saw that there was a deck in front of the building. The sign in front did not only advertise Nimbus Publishing, but a place called Open Book Coffee. As you may know by now, I’m a sucker for a good cup of coffee. I headed over and peered into the space.

Open Book Coffee welcomes the patron with shelves of books. I instantly saw titles jump out at me that I had read or were on my “to read list”. The focus is local. Shelves categorized with books about African Nova Scotian history and women’s rights are the first to greet the visitor.

Book shelves the visitor sees — The entrance to Open Book Coffee.

Besides the books, one of the most striking things about the cafe is the decor. Every piece feels as though it was specially chosen for the space. Once the visitors walks in, a bright room with plenty of tables and the cash register/ barista station is ahead.

A look at the front room of the cafe. This includes the barista island/ cash register as well as some of the seating and book shelves. The room is quite bright. — I caught Joe brewing while snapping pictures of the space.

I walked up to the cash, which has added an old glass window to serve as a barrier between the barista and the guest. After being greeted, I blurted out “I think I just found my new favourite cafe”. Turns out the barista of the day was Joe Tinney, owner of Open Book Coffee (how great is it that someone named Joe runs a coffee shop??).

As soon as I told him how much I liked the atmosphere of the shop, he took me on a tour. Joe is the definition of eccentric and welcoming. He told me about how the coffee shop is partnered with Nimbus Publishing. Due to this he often hosts book launches and events. The cafe is relatively new, only having opened in 2018.

We left the main space to enter another room in the back. Off this room the washrooms are available. The first thing I noticed was the light box that spelled out “Black Lives Matter”. There is some seating available in this room as well as a backgammon board.

Black Lives Matter light box. — Black Lives Matter.

Graffiti and cool paintings plus a backgammon board at Open Book Coffee. — The yellow graffiti on the right says “Read Local”.

Barn doors at the back of the room opened up the space further. This was the space primarily used for Nimbus’ and other’s events.

Barn doors in Open Book Cafe. — The other side of the room and the barn door. Paintings from artists like Maud Lewis can be seen throughout the shop.

The space isn’t the only plus at Open Book Coffee. The menu is inclusive. Dairy and gluten free items are available. Not only are the typical coffee shop items on the menu, but cool drinks such as kombucha give the patron a bit more variety. Besides snacks there are soups, paninis and samosas to fuel your reading. Baked goods are made locally and delivered daily. The roasts come from Laughing Whale in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

A fridge at Open Book shows the cold drinks available for purchase. — There are lots of drink options at Open Book Coffee!

By far the best part about Open Book is Joe. Having created a welcoming space, Joe strives to form a community. One of the first things he told me was that he wanted Open Book to grow naturally through word of mouth.

I ordered a mocha and brought it out on the deck to enjoy the sun while sipping away. On top of everything else, the coffee was great.

Outside of Open Book Coffee with three books from Nimbus publishing. They include:"Nov Scotia's Lost Communities" by Joan Dawson, "Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia" by Terrence Punch and "The Education of an Innocent: An Autobiography by E.R. "Ernie" Forbes". These books are set on a table outside of the coffee shop (on the patio) with my coffee. — My book haul of the day! What’s better than reading over a cup of coffee?

In my mind there’s no question that I just stumbled upon Halifax’s best hidden gem when it comes to coffee. You could say that it’s some of the hottest coffee in the city (Get it? Haha).

You can find Open Book Coffee at their website, on Instagram and Facebook. They’re open Monday to Saturday, 7:30am-5:30pm (Facebook says 3pm/ hours may vary).

I’ll certainly be back at Open Book Coffee soon!