Fountain Bookshop in New York is a new bookstore that also sells ice cream and soda

New Yorkers have high expectations of the places they frequent: whether it’s a bodega that sometimes doubles as a nightclub or a hot dog shop that’s actually a secret entrance to a bar exquisite underground (that would be Crif Dogs), New York businesses cannot be just one. thing.

That’s exactly why a newly opened bookstore in Washington Heights doesn’t just sell books: The Fountain Bookshop, located at 2113 Amsterdam Avenue, is also a community space, ice cream parlor and soda purveyor. Yes, all in one.

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The unique destination is the passion project of a Karah Rempe Pinto, who has lived in Washington Heights for almost 17 years. She is a pastry chef and owner of Dutch Baby Bakery, a neighborhood staple loved for its seasonal Southern dishes.

When asked about the catalyst for her latest effort, Pinto recalls considering ways to continue contributing to the uptown neighborhood she has called home for nearly two decades.

“I started thinking about what types of businesses our neighborhood would benefit from and what needs were going unmet,” Pinto told Free time in New York. “My first love was always books and reading. I knew I had the passion to fuel the enormous amount of work and problem-solving required to launch a new business.”

Fountain Bookshop is just three doors down from its bakery.

The bookstore is named after Pinto’s grandmother, whose maiden name was Fountain. She died recently at the age of 99 and Pinto remembers her as an extremely joyful person and very proud of everything she did.

The nickname is also a nod to one of the store’s most striking features, an old-fashioned soda fountain located next to an ice cream counter in the bookstore. In the near future, Pinto plans to add egg creams, root beer floats, affogato, milkshakes and sundaes to the menu.

Before being a baker, Pinto was an English teacher, and opening a bookstore was not a big step forward but rather the logical continuation of her passions. But more than just a place to buy thrillers and romance novels, Pinto says he wants to help create a “third space” in the neighborhood, a term that refers to destinations outside of the workplace and home where people can interact with communities. , which seems increasingly rare as we retreat into our respective social media silos.

But back to the books: Fountain Bookshop currently offers mystery/thriller, romance, and sci-fi/fantasy titles, as well as adult, YA, and children’s novels in Spanish. Pinto says she plans to expand the inventory based on community feedback.

For example, starting next week, the destination will host story times in English and Spanish, in addition to several author readings in December.

Needless to say, there’s always room for new bookstores in New York, especially if they also do something even more.