Two independent bookstores in downtown Wilmington make an easy afternoon with a separate coffee stop at 24 South, which lists a 5 p.m. close. If you’d like to browse and get a drink in the same building, go to Pomegranate Books in Winter Park. Zola Coffee & Tea shares the building and lists a 2 p.m. close Tuesday through Saturday, two hours before the bookstore closes.
Choose the part of Wilmington first
Front and Market streets make sense when you’re already downtown for lunch or the Wilmington Riverwalk. Go to Winter Park when you have time for an earlier visit and want the books and coffee in one stop. Castle Street is another part of town to explore if you’re interested in the selection at The Roasted Bookery. Check with that shop before counting on a drink there.
| Bookshop and area | Coffee plan |
|---|---|
| Old Books on Front Street, downtown | Go to 24 South Coffee House separately. The cafe lists a 5 p.m. close daily. |
| Papercut Books, downtown | Pair it with 24 South Coffee House. Confirm Papercut’s hours directly before choosing the order. |
| Pomegranate Books and Zola Coffee & Tea, Winter Park | Same building. Tuesday through Saturday, Zola lists a 2 p.m. close and the bookstore lists 4 p.m. |
Downtown browsing at Old Books and Papercut
If you’d like to take home a book about the area, put Old Books on Front Street first. The shop highlights North Carolina titles alongside its vintage finds. Its account of the move describes more than 300 people helping carry books and shelves out of the former Front Street location. The shop is now at 249 N. Front St., across from where the business began in 1982.
Old Books lists hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call the shop if you want to go on a Wednesday, which is absent from its posted schedule. On a day when the shop closes at 6, you can get coffee first and still have time to look at the North Carolina books after the cafe shuts.
Papercut Books is at 200 Market St., Unit 100. Its staff put together lists for fiction, cookbooks and mysteries. If you’re shopping for someone who’s always halfway through a thriller, start with those picks or bring the name of the last one they liked and ask for something in the same vein. For a particular title or a late visit, contact Papercut before you set out.
For a drink, 24 South Coffee House is a separate stop at 24 S. Front St. The menu lists drinks from cold brew to cappuccinos, and the posted schedule gives you until 5 p.m. If you’re coming from lunch, look up the bookshop first and decide whether to get your coffee on the way or carry a book out with you for the cafe. For a full meal after browsing, see the downtown Wilmington restaurant guide.
Books and coffee on Castle Street
The Roasted Bookery started as a mobile bookshop and moved to 1102 Castle St., Unit 101. The owners’ account of the move describes a collection that makes room for books by Black, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ+ writers. Try it when you’d like to bring home a book by a writer who hasn’t made it onto your usual reading list.
The shop has served coffee and tea. If you’re choosing Castle Street for books and a drink, call the shop at 910-508-3146 to check cafe service and hours for the day.
Pomegranate and Zola in Winter Park
Pomegranate Books has been in the Borkenhagen House at 4418 Park Ave. since 2005. The bookshop carries titles for different ages and features locally made cards and gifts. If you’re sending a book home with someone, you can look for a card while you’re choosing the book.
Zola Coffee & Tea is in the same house, with spiced lattes and loose-leaf teas on its posted menu. Both businesses open at 9 a.m. on the regular Tuesday through Saturday schedule.
Illustration of two drinks listed by Zola, a spiced latte and loose-leaf tea.
If you get there at 1:30 p.m., order first and then take your time with the shelves. After 2 p.m., you still have until 4 p.m. for books on those days. This is a separate outing on Park Avenue, so plan transport to Winter Park if you’re starting downtown.
Before you settle in to read
For a holiday visit, check the day’s bookstore and cafe hours before you head out. Ask about a step-free entrance or an accessible restroom if either affects which shop you can visit. If it’s important to spend part of the afternoon reading there, ask the cafe about seating or take your coffee to go and keep a place to read in mind for afterward.
If you’re fitting this around a winter Wilmington trip, leave some time between the bookstore and your next stop. Open the book to the first page while your coffee is still warm.
