Metro Roundup: Flower Betty adding bookstore, coffee shop

Marilee Gilbert always wanted to own a bookstore.

When she realized Vestavia Hills did not have an independent bookstore or a coffee shop, she decided to make her dream come true, adding both to her and her husband Bradley’s flower business, Flower Betty, located at 2531 Rocky Ridge Road, Suite 101.

Gilbert admits her “to-be-read” pile is large.

“I love the coziness of an independent bookstore,” Gilbert said. “I love the feel of books in my hands. All of it just brings me joy, brings me calm.”

Her time before operating the book and coffee shop was at Flower Betty, which opened a few years ago and has achieved great success. She and Bradley began at Homewood Flowers before moving the business during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been in the flower business for close to 30 years, she said. While Bradley is more of an extrovert, Marilee is also hard at work behind the scenes.

While the book and coffee shop are adjacent to Flower Betty, there will be a separate entrance for the latter, with books and seating all around the bookstore. The coffee shop area is toward the back of the bookstore. The new logo, designed by Gilbert’s sister, has coffee beans in the shape of a flower.

Gilbert plans to have fun events, connecting with nearby Vestavia Hills High School, hosting poetry slams and more. There will also be gift items, candles and journals available for purchase, she said, and at some point, she hopes to host book clubs.

There will be a wide variety of books for purchase, and the plan is to continue to grow and add more as the shop hopefully succeeds, Gilbert said.

“My goal is to have full shelves, lots of them back to back,” Gilbert said. “We’ve got a pretty good space.”

Gilbert said independent bookstores provide something that corporate bookstores cannot: a sense of community.

“I have always worked for small businesses,” Gilbert said. “I believe in small business and I believe that communities … have to support your small businesses or you’re left with nothing.”

The Vestavia community has supported Flower Betty so well, Gilbert said. You have that personal relationship. We have customers that we know what kinds of flowers they love.”

Gilbert wants that to carry over to the bookstore.

“I want to know what kind of books they’ll love,” Gilbert said. “It’s more personal.”

Gilbert has partnered with a local bakery to provide baked goods, including pastries and more. All of the coffee will be named after literary characters handpicked by Gilbert and her sister. Gilbert’s favorite novel is “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” so her favorite drink, a hazelnut and Irish cream latte, is named after the main character. Her sister’s favorite drink, a salted caramel mocha, is named “Marianne Dashwood” after the “Sense and Sensibility” character.a

There will also be fun drinks including “Hagrid hot chocolate” for the kids, Gilbert said.

In the shop itself, Gilbert said the colors will include chocolates and plums, creating a “dark and cozy” feel, with dim lights and “cozy, comfy” chairs to sit in.

“We want it to be a place for friends to come and hang out,” Gilbert said.

There will be several jobs available, and the shop has partnered with a company training them on how to create the perfect espressos and more, Gilbert said.

The bookstore opened in early December, and the coffee shop opened not long before Christmas. However, Flower Betty had a water pipe burst before Christmas and will be closed for some time, the owner said on Facebook.