Niche Book Bar Opens in Bronzeville

Ray Hill (left), Cetonia Weston and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs at Niche Book Bar. Photo taken Jan. 17, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

The end of 2024 marked the beginning of a new chapter for Bronzeville, which welcomed the long-awaited Niche Book Bar.

Cetonia Weston opened the bookstore at 1937 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr., establishing a brick-and-mortar home for the mobile business she founded in 2020.

The shop is the culmination of nearly four years of work for Weston, who faced numerous setbacks while struggling to find reliable contractors.

“That was the challenge right there,” said Weston, noting it significantly delayed the store’s opening.

The business is now fully operational, its shelves stocked with a growing collection of literary works by Black authors. Its bar—rescued from a former school library—currently serves coffee and tea and will offer wine as soon as licensing is complete.

Weston will now shift her focus to “beefing up the inventory” of the store, which currently features sections for children and young adults, graphic novels, poetry, romance, sci-fi, general fiction, nonfiction, lifestyle and local authors—including works by Weston and her son.

The shop’s opening marked a significant milestone for the neighborhood, which has been without a designated bookstore since Reader’s Choice, 1950 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., closed in 2017 after 30 years in business.

Last Friday, area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs stopped by to celebrate the new addition and speak with Weston about her experience as a local business owner. Representatives of the Historic King Drive BID and the Department of City Development joined Coggs for the neighborhood walk-through, which also included stops at Noire Hair District, Black And White Barbershop and CopyWrite Magazine.

With her daughter on her hip, Weston guided the group through the cozy shop, highlighting a lounge-like nook for book clubs and leading them to an in-progress outdoor patio. Niche also features a sturdy wooden bar and tall wine racks that will gradually fill with empty bottles as service ramps up at the bookstore.

Although the menu is still being finalized, Weston said she plans to offer a selection of wines from Black winemakers around the country, as well as tea and local coffee from Style Pop Cafe.

Niche even has a signature cider, Vellichor, from Cache Cider. The semi-dry blend, made with grapes, blackberries, apples and pears, aims to evoke the nostalgic sensation of walking through a used bookstore.

During the walk-through, Weston said she’s excited to become part of the Bronzeville business district and begin “doing some book-dealing.”

Coggs said she’s eager to support the shop, having watched it develop from its earliest stages. “I remember you submitting to the RFP for this building, you appearing before the Bronzeville Advisory Committee — all the stuff you’ve gone through to get here today,” she said. “People are excited that you’re here.”

Niche Book Bar is still in its soft opening phase, with days and hours of operation posted to its Facebook page.

In the future, Weston plans to establish regular hours: Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bookstore will be closed on Sundays and Mondays, though Weston said she is open to adjusting based on customer feedback.

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