Retail Watch: Barista opens new book shop in Lehigh Valley cafe

A local barista is ready to share her love of reading with a new book shop she opened within a Lehigh Valley cafe.

Jojo’s Book Nook announced online its grand opening for June 26 within Plants + Coffee at 1458 Northampton St. in Easton.

Jocelyn “Jojo” Schienholz, a Plants + Coffee barista and owner of the book shop, said she plans to offer book genres such as romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy, young adult, books by LGBTQ+ authors, and merchandise such as candles and bookmarks. She also hopes to host events such as book clubs or for new releases.

“It’s like an escape, and it’s like stepping outside of whatever stressors are in your real life, and just kind of escaping into whatever world or whatever alternate reality is in the book,” Schienholz said. “And so that’s what I really enjoy about it. It’s … putting yourself in a setting that isn’t, I guess, real for me. I enjoy a lot of fiction and fantasy and romance novels, so for me, getting to put myself in another character’s shoes — in a different reality that is totally unrelated to my life — but then also being able to see myself in those characters is what interests me the most.”

Schienholz said she didn’t always love books like she does now — growing up, she hated reading.

“It just took me a really long time to get through the [school reading] material, and I didn’t enjoy it,” she said. “I didn’t find it interesting. I felt like I wasn’t good at reading. I felt like I was just really slow when I read, and so that bothered me. And … I grew up having an IEP — so like in school, an individualized education program — so I always saw myself as not being book smart or not being able to read as well as the other kids.”

That changed around 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then she has read over 500 books.

“I had come home from college, and me and my little sister [Bryanna] buddy-read ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,’ and that just really got me into reading, and I found out there were other genres of books other than school books that I was really into,” Schienholz said.

Schienholz had the idea about a year and a half ago to operate her own mobile book cart, but she “never really got further than a business plan.” But then she spoke with Plants + Coffee owners Jenny and Brandt DeLorenzo.

“They actually were the ones that were like, ‘Maybe you should open a little book corner in this back area and we’ll help you get everything sorted and figured out.,’ ” Schienholz said.

The book shop space operates where a free library used to be, “so [Jenny] was like, ‘This would work out perfectly if you opened up a little book nook back there and started selling books.’ And then eventually I could move somewhere else or make it bigger or have different spots in other places that I would sell books, but for now, this was a really good starting point for me.”

The book shop operates the same hours and days as the cafe — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Jocelyn Schienholz, a barista at Plants + Coffee, sets up for the grand opening of her new book shop, Jojo’s Book Nook, on Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Easton. The book shop is in the corner of the coffee shop, and will offer romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy and Pride-themed books, along with other merchandise like candles, stickers and bookmarks. (Avery Folmar/The Morning Call)

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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief

Marcy’s Hamburgers: The restaurant will relocate in August or September to 125 Northampton St. in Easton, co-owner Brian Dowling told The Morning Call. It opened last September within a former typewriter shop at 77 N. Fourth St.

Dowling said the new space, where Kabinett Wine Bar operated until it closed in the spring, will feature improved seating as well as new menu offerings such as macaroni and cheese and meatball Parmesan skillet.

Taco Tek Mexican Grill: The New York-based chain will open soon at the Schoenersville Centre at 3211 Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem, The James Balliet Property Group announced online.

Whitehall Deli & Grocery: The store announced online a grand opening for July 1 at 3001 S. Second St. in Whitehall Township.

Truffle Bar: The chocolate shop announced online it would temporarily close for renovations for the month of July at 5831 W. Tilghman St. in Upper Macungie Township.

“We’re expanding our kitchen space to accommodate more parties, classes, and hands-on experiences, while still keeping the retail shop you know and love stocked with your favorite sweet treats when we reopen,” the shop said. “We can’t wait to welcome you back and share everything we’ve been working on. Thank you for supporting us from day one — this next chapter is for you.”

Burlington: The discount retailer will hold a grand opening for its new store on July 10 at 654 N. West End Blvd. in Richland Township, Bucks County.

La Piazza Italia: The new restaurant will soon replace the former Salvatore’s Pizzeria & Restaurant at the Forks Towne Centers shopping center off Town Center Boulevard in Forks Township.

Spring Valley Tavern: The restaurant opened June 24 under new ownership after it closed last year as the Ye Olde Spring Valley Tavern at 1355 Station Ave. in Upper Saucon Township.

Uno Taqueria: A new location for the Mexican restaurant will hold a grand opening and giveaways on July 7 at 15 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem.

Kushy Boutique: The gift shop reopened July 1 after a vehicle hit its part of the building early last month at 4622 Lehigh Drive in Lehigh Township.

PrimoHoagies: The sandwich restaurant announced online its opening Wednesday at 1463 W. Broad St. in Quakertown

In other news

Michael L. Dontas, the co-owner of Copperhead Grille and Utopita, died June 27 at the age of 47, according to his obituary.

“More than a business owner, Michael was a friend, mentor, and an integral part of our family business. Touching the lives of our guests, staff, friends, and community through kindness, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to bringing people together,” the Copperhead Grille Facebook page said. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support during this difficult time. We ask that you continue to keep the Dontas family in your thoughts and prayers as we honor Michael’s life and legacy. His presence will be deeply missed, but the impact he made on so many lives will never be forgotten.”

Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.

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