The day of our interview, Jenn and Ken Dunn had just pulled an all-nighter.
Instead of closing for renovations, the sawdust was flying late into the night as the wall behind the beer taps began its transformation at The Arcane Books and Speakeasy.
The owners of The Arcane recently took over the all-day coffee, craft beer, cocktails, and wine business in Downtown Cary—previously The Williams House Craft Taproom—as of last Thursday morning, June 18. They’ve kept the doors open with business as usual since.
“We liked that we were open on day one,” said Jenn Dunn.
The historic section of the building, The Williams House, will change the most in function. The restored 1938-era house, relocated down Chatham Street in 2018 to 210 E. Chatham Street, served as a lounge with photos and newspaper clippings sharing its history.
Soon, it will be The Williams House Bookshop, one part of The Arcane Books and Speakeasy business. Artifacts from the lounge will be sprinkled throughout other parts of the business.
The Dunns hope to open the bookstore section by July 15. They plan for the currently-unused door at the front of the building (pictured above) to be the entrance to the bookshop.
The book selection will focus on new adult fiction, including romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy, classics, and more. A small used books area will be closer to the bar.
Here’s the speakeasy-inspired part: Two bookshelves will be doors that open to the bar and seating area.
The cocktail menu will include book-inspired names, like the “Secret Garden” and the “Shadow Daddy Old Fashioned” (romantasy fans will get the latter reference).
All-day coffee options will stay, and blenders will be arriving soon for ice-blended beverages. A food menu will be added, featuring items like elevated flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, hummus, and spinach dips.
The coffee shop and bar was busy that first day, featuring gatherings from a construction company’s after-work event to a trivia night for Heated Rivalry (an LGBTQ love story that started as a book before the popular TV show). The range speaks to the kind of community cultivated by Ashley Ranaudo, the owner of The Williams House Craft Taproom.
“A lot of what Ashley did here really works,” Ken Dunn said, adding that The Arcane will keep popular events going.
Author events and cocktail classes are new kinds of events they plan to offer. Jenn, who started The Little Bookish Shop with a friend, has experience at maker markets selling book-related items to other readers. Maker markets may be another event type in their future.
The first listed event is a midnight release party for the popular romantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses, written by Sarah J. Maas. The ticket includes a copy of the book.
The Arcane is part of a growing books scene in Western Wake. In April of this year, the RDU Book Crawl made stops at Fable Books & Cafe in Holly Springs and Alleyway Books in Apex, but none in Cary, Jenn noted, but none in Cary.
Starting this summer, Downtown Cary will give book lovers two places to shop for books, with Juliet Books opening on July 28.
Jenn Dunn said the timing of two bookstores in Downtown Cary is coincidental, but the book community is inclusive and collaborative. One difference between the stores is that The Arcane doesn’t plan to have children’s books, while Juliet Books will, she said.
The Arcane will eventually expand in hours, but there’s not an ETA on extended Mondays or Sunday openings yet. For now, the hours are the same, from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The Dunns said they hope The Williams House regulars will continue to frequent The Arcane, from the mahjong players to remote workers.
“We want to be a place for locals of all kinds to want to gather,” Jenn Dunn said.
What do you hope to see from Cary’s growing books scene? Email line@theassemblync.com to share your thoughts.
