The Bookhouse finds new home down the block

FAIRFIELD — At first, Josie Overmyer was not thrilled to move back to Fairfield.

Josie is the daughter of Joe and Susan Overmyer, who came to Fairfield in the early 1980s. Though she was born here, most of her childhood was spent in Connecticut. After high school, she attended The New School in New York City, where she studied writing.

Overmyer had grown accustomed to life on the east coast. She expected to make her home in New York City, but in 2008, her parents moved back to Fairfield, seeking a quieter environment. Overmyer followed them to Iowa, though she wasn’t excited about it.

“But it’s really grown on me since then,” Overmyer said. “Fairfield is a really special place.”

Overmyer worked at a number of jobs in the years that followed, including as a house cleaner and at The Raj in Maharishi Vedic City. She had a dream of starting her own business, and in 2018 the stars aligned for her to do just that.

Her first idea was to open a children’s literature store, but she didn’t think such a business could survive in a small town. Her second idea was to open a tea shop, because she missed going to Earth & Water Tea House, a business that Corey Morrow owned on North Main Street but had to close after a few years.

Fairfield resident Nicholas Naioti owned The Arbor Bar on South Main Street, but told Overmyer he was going to have to close it soon. She suggested they combine forces to open a tea shop and cocktail bar, filling a niche that the community lacked. Naioti liked the idea, and in 2018 the two opened The Bookhouse — Tea House and Cocktail Lounge.

Overmyer said it was hard to decide whether the business should cater more to a morning or evening crowd, and at first it focused on afternoons and evenings. In addition to serving drinks and food, the shop hosted live music and dance parties. They also kept a stack of board games handy so customers could entertain themselves while they dined. In November 2019, Naioti stepped down as part-owner, leaving Overmyer alone at the helm.

The business’s first location was on the south side of the square, on the eastern part of the block. However, Overmyer said the space was more room than they needed, and so began looking for a smaller space, which she found just a couple of doors down on the western part of the same block. In December 2020, The Bookhouse moved into its new location at 54 W. Burlington Ave., which previously housed State Farm Insurance.

Overmyer said the move allowed the business to save money on energy costs and upkeep.

“I was so excited to get to work on this space, and turn it into what I had envisioned,” Overmyer said. “We had to redo the floors, because they were all carpeted. We put in new flooring and built the bar.”

In the new space, the kitchen is directly behind the bar, which Overmyer loves. She said in the old space, the kitchen was at the other end of the room from the bar, which was inconvenient.

The Bookhouse sells a large number of organic loose leaf teas, tea lattes, pour-over coffee, wine, beer, cocktails, quiches, cheese platters and pastries from Bountiful Bakery as well as Overmyer’s own baked goods. She plans to start selling espresso, too, due to popular demand.

Overmyer said she the business has transitioned from an afternoon-evening schedule to more of a morning-afternoon one, though it’s still open in the evenings on weekends. It’s open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, plus 5-10 p.m. Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

“Evenings are definitely our busy time,” Overmyer said. “I’m hoping the espresso will draw more people in the morning, too.”

The pandemic put a damper on hosting live events, but Overmyer said those have returned.

“We’re doing live jazz a couple of times a month, and things like karaoke and monthly tea-tastings,” she said.

The Bookhouse now hosts a mini-art gallery, too, so local artists have another place to show off their work to the public. Overmyer said she plans to rotate the art about every two months, and has artists lined up through the end of the year.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com