In an age of audiobooks and Kindles, bookstores are closing more often than they open. But friends Amber Henson and Jay Vacanti believed The Wandering Page (3925 Farnam St) would be a success because it’s about more than books.
This store was created to build communities.
“There are a lot of options for books in Omaha and a lot of options for coffee in Omaha,” Henson said. “But what we really wanted to create was a space where, yes, people could have both, but we really wanted to build a community where people could come in and meet over a cup of coffee. It’s a space to engage in conversation and create relationships and that’s what we’re all about here.”
The Wandering Page, which opened on June 20 in the Blackstone District, hosts a number of different events intended to bring people together, including children’s story time, silent book clubs, crafting gatherings, and author meet and greets. Henson hopes that’s just the tip of the iceberg as The Wandering Page establishes itself in the Omaha community.
“We’re going to start our own book clubs here,” Henson said. “We want to do poetry readings and just a plethora of events for people to come together over the arts: over literature, over art, over music. We’re really excited with what’s to come.”
If all you want is a good read, The Wandering Page can certainly deliver. It’s not a massive store but offers a good variety of autobiographies, thrillers, mysteries, teen dramas, and children’s books. Henson and Vacanti want to fill their shelves with books their guests want, so they have a suggestion box where readers can submit books they’d like to see on the shelves.
The Wandering Page also serves fresh coffee and a variety of pastries from The Grand Patisserie, a local bakery that specializes in French desserts. The shop recently added seltzers and canned beers to its menu and plans on providing a limited cocktail menu in the near future.
The idea of opening a bookstore simmered for years after avid readers Henson and Vacanti became friends while working at another job. The concept began to solidify during discussions while on a girls trip in Kansas, but everything was still hypothetical.
That is, until the duo returned and a friend who works in real estate said he had an available space in Blackstone. As soon as Vacanti and Henson toured the space, they knew this would be The Wandering Page’s home.
What they’ve seen in the weeks since opening has surpassed the expectations they originally imagined. Families, study groups, and couples have flocked to the shop to enjoy a good book, a cup of coffee, and a sense of peace and calming that comes with finding a community that accepts them and encourages them to slow down a bit.
“It’s been amazing,” Henson said. “It’s almost surreal when we walk in the door and see all of our couches filled with people who are just having conversations. We have a lot of people in the area who come in to study or stop in over their lunch breaks and just set up shop at a table.
“It’s been really cool to see that come to fruition, that people are here and they enjoy our space as much as we do.”
