Who doesn’t need a little pick-me-up when researching a robust topic on local history or perusing that 1,000-page tome you’ve been trying to plow through for the last month? With the installation of the brand new Bookmark Café at the Rogers Memorial Library (91 Coopers Farm Road, Southampton, 631-283-0774), now you can grab a little nosh to keep you firing on all cylinders.
With its debut last month, the historical library’s brand new café boasts the beloved South Fork Bakery as its operator, supplying readers with savory and sweet treats, along with cups of caffeinated liquid energy from Hampton Coffee Company.
The Library Café has long been part of the re-envisioning of the library’s old footprint, in the works for almost a decade and delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s been a long time in the planning, but it was well worth the wait,” said library director Liz Burns in a statement to the press. “We hope the community enjoys the Bookmark Café for many years to come.”
Part of the recent $2.2 million renovation, the new café seats 15 indoors and 12 on their al fresco patio. The partnership with South Fork Bakery is sweet collaboration for the historical Southampton library and its important collection of local records. Founded originally on Jobs Lane in 1893 by Harriet Jones Rogers as an homage to her mother, Clarissa, it was moved to the current site on Coopers Farm Road in 2000 when it became clear that its collection was outgrowing its original space.
The library’s dedication to the people of Southampton and other nearby hamlets makes the partnership between them and South Fork Bakery even more of a treat. Founded by Noyac resident Shirley Ruch in 2016, the bakery’s mission has always been to help adults with developmental disabilities, assisting them with finding employment. Ruch, who has a masters degree in speech and language pathology, has long specialized in working with autistic children and founded South Fork Bakery to become the solution to the problem she saw her clients struggling with. Here, they not only find work but also receive the necessary training and skills to handle the job here, or any other in the future.
“South Fork Bakery is grateful for the opportunity to expand our Launch Program to the Bookmark Café. This partnership will provide hands-on training and employment for our team members, helping them work with job coaches to move toward increased independence and integration,” says South Fork Bakery executive director Bridget Fleming. “The Café will be a welcoming space where visitors can enjoy delicious coffee and baked goods in an environment of inclusion, dignity, and meaningful work, all within the beautiful Rogers Memorial Library.”
The Bookmark Café is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
