Bookmark Cafe Blends Shakespeare With Sandwiches

The Bookmark Cafe at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center offers patrons an opportunity to eat organic food and sip Italian coffee while enjoying their borrowed reads.

The cafe is a sunny space with cheerful decor, located to the left of the library's main entrance. Children's drawings adorn the counters, and artwork created by local photographers line the walls.

Just outside the cafe, a patio with outdoor seating allows customers to enjoy their meals al fresco. If patrons are so inclined, they may take their food inside the library to enjoy a book or study in peace.

Lafayette resident Mona Amanat and her partner Soraya Radmanesh are working to promote their new business, which opened in June. Amanat says that many would-be customers assume that the cafe only sells coffee and pastries. She hopes that increased exposure will get the word out that her business is more than just a coffee shop.

"We can cater for any number of people, from birthdays in the Science Room to tea parties for little girls," Amanat explained.

Various meeting rooms in the library may be rented for private events, so Amanat hopes that Lafayette residents will consider using the catering arm of her business for their next party.

Amanat and Radmanesh won the bid to rent the space after a rigorous selection process led by a city council appointed committee. Their proposal caught the committee's attention with details about gluten free sandwiches, recyclable products and organic food and drink selections.

The menu at the cafe was written with help from children, who came up with such witty sandwich names as the "Chicken Little" and the "Who Moved My Cheese" panini. Even the fruit has literature-themed names, like Sleeping Beauty green apples and Little Miss Sunshine oranges.

The cafe is open every day except Sunday, and Amanat hopes that the school season will bring a fresh wave of new customers as students hit the books for fall semester. To reach the cafe, call (925) 283-9999.