Little Gay Bookstore opening Short North brick and mortar

After originally announcing that Little Gay Bookstore and Queer Beans Coffee were going into a brick and mortar space in 2023, the queer-owned nonprofit is getting ready for their grand opening in their new Short North location.

“We had a spot in 2023 – it didn’t work out – and by that time when we tried to open in 2023 we decided we were going to work with Roosevelt Coffee because we were very mission aligned,” said Reese Steiner, one of the co-owners of the shop. “When the owner Kenny Sipes found out we lost our space, he said he built a cafe in Stonewall that never came to fruition because of Covid.”

Turns out, the partnership between Stonewall Columbus and Little Gay Bookstore/Queer Beans was a perfect fit, as two queer nonprofits who have a focus on community and creating queer spaces. Co-owned by couple Reese Steiner and Lauren Branch, the bookstore and coffee shop are set to open at 1160 N High St on September 2nd, at 7:00 a.m. sharp.

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Branch, a full time respiratory therapist at a hospital, and Steiner, a writer, have been running their store in a mobile capacity since 2023, doing regular events every weekend in 2024. Having a location in the Short North was a dream.

“We are just excited! It kind of felt like for a while it would never get to this point,” said Branch. “We wanted to have a safe space for queer people and allies to hang out in and read all gay books if they want. We can’t wait to see people in the space and see it come alive.”

Queer Beans (the for-profit arm of the two businesses) will offer all the beloved coffee staples, like espresso, a flat white, cold brew, then plentiful tea options like chai and matcha

lattes. All of the coffee will come from Roosevelt. Queer Beans will also be collaborating with Stonewall Columbus to implement a workforce development program for formerly incarcerated queer people to work in the coffee shop, and get work experience and certifications.

Little Gay Bookstore and Queer Beans Coffee Shop will open their doors September 2nd, and be open every Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Eventually, the space will add weekend hours. For more information, follow the shop on Instagram at @littlegaybookstore and @queerbeanscoffee, and visit their new storefront starting in early September for your next read!

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