📚 Quick Trip
Intro
Went on a family vacation to South Carolina and couldn’t resist going for some coffee and sightseeing! (and by that, I meant book-seeing lol)
☕ Coffee Break:
Biggby
Merca’s Thought:
☕☕☕☕☕/5
I loved Biggby! I loved it so much, I made sure we went before we left for our long journey back home. The people who worked there were so nice, no matter what day we went or even if it was a completely different staff. I wish we had them down in Florida. Way better than Dutch Bros, Cali Coffee, and hands down Starbucks!!!!!
Masha’s Thought:
☕☕☕☕☕/5
I was already familiar with Biggby from a previous vacation I went on to Ohio – before Merça’s time – and it never disappoints! I am OBSESSED with this place! I was introduced to their famous “bragel”, which is a breakfast bagel sandwich, and it is freaking delicious. We didn’t even take a picture of the food because we were so into it, we forgot 😂I’ve never been able to find a place that compares to this one when it comes to coffee, food, or customer service. The hospitality here is unreal, and I dream of the day they decide to come to South Florida.
📍 Stop 1:
Ed’s Editions
Merca’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5
Vibe: Cozy, personable, and great prices
What Merca loved:
Nothing makes my day quite like a good second-hand bookstore. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but I love collecting cookbooks, and shops like this are the perfect place to do it without breaking my little coin purse! They had such great options, but I ended up bringing home two. One of them was the Pippa Middleton book, which is so cute, it walks you through the seasons with recipes and family activities. And before I forget, I have to mention the sweetest part of the visit. The older gentleman working the shop (not sure if his name was Ed or not…I didn’t ask) noticed us walking up and actually opened the store early just for us. Now, I know it was only a few minutes before opening, but having worked in retail myself, I can tell you: I never open doors early, not even by a minute. Sorry not sorry.
Masha’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5
Vibe: Old-school and budget-friendly
What Masha loved:
The old man really did it for me. He was definitely the highlight of our experience here, making sure to explain all the book deals they had going on. Not to mention he opened the doors just for us, since we were already snooping from the outside lol. This store was very vintage-looking, with a little bit of everything, and at amazing prices. They even had a few collector’s editions and signed books, which I thought was pretty cool. You guys know that I’m not a huge fan of thrifting books, but it’s been growing on me thanks to Merça. I would come back just for Ed (we decided that was the old man’s name).
📍 Stop 2:
All Good Books
Merca’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5
Vibe: Cute vibes
What Merca loved:
I’ve decided to start a new tradition on our bookstore trips… collecting hats from the places we visit! On our last trip to Steamy Lit in Tampa, I picked up a cute white hat. Now, she has a new friend from All Good Books to join her on her hat adventures. 🙂
I think this place is awesome. It has choices in genre, cool stickers and cute spots to sit and read with a coffee or snack that you can purchase in their cute little café (which I didn’t try anything from sadly).
As a mom, my second favorite part has to be the adorable kids’ area. Not that my kids are huge readers but it’s perfect for them to “pretend” while I enjoy a little coffee break before our next adventure hahahaha.
If it wasn’t so hot out that day we most definitely would have sat outside and hung out for a little, but the heat was not it.
Workers seemed nice but not inviting. I only mentioned it in this review because I mentioned Ed upstairs, and he was the sweetest, even gave us a quick run-down/tour of the spot. Where at All Good Books we got a quick “hey” and barely any eye contact.
Again, only mentioning the workers because I mentioned Ed, and now that I’m thinking about it, the Biggby’s Coffee people were great too!!!
But no hate to the All Good Books crew. I get it, sometimes you’re just clocking in and collecting a paycheck. But when you get beyond service, you notice the little things. I’m going to stop here, though, because at this point I’m dragging it, and honestly, it’s not a big deal 😅
Masha’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5
Vibe: Modern, cute, and cozy
What Masha loved:
I loved the aesthetics of this store so much! It was so clean and organized, but still had a homey feeling to it. I could see myself sipping on a coffee while sitting on a bean bag with a book in hand all day long. They had a small café inside with barstools that seemed extremely cozy. During cold weather, their outdoor patio probably gets packed because it was adorable, too. I wanted to buy everything here – books, totes, even their candles! The only complaint is the blank stare coming from the staff. I was looking at some of the bags and was scared to ask for prices due to the long faces, but other than that, I would definitely revisit this spot.