Inklings Coffee & Tea on Main Street is turning 10, and the shop is throwing itself a party at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, with a ribbon cutting, short remarks, complimentary coffee and snacks, and anniversary giveaways while they last. The shop is at 530 Main St.
"More than anything, it's a thank-you party for the Pleasanton community. This place has felt like home for ten years because of the people who walk through our doors every day, and we can't wait to celebrate with them," CEO Matt DePretis told Patch.
An Oxford idea on Main Street
The name comes from the Inklings, the circle of Oxford friends that included Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who met in pubs and sitting rooms to read their work aloud and argue about life. The shop's founders wanted that kind of fellowship.
The idea started more than a decade ago with a group from Valley Community Church, who noticed that people seemed lonelier even as they were more connected online. DePretis said they asked people what real connection looked like and kept hearing that they wanted a welcoming place to slow down and actually meet people.
The result was a cafe meant to feel like a professor's study at Oxford: Victorian-style furniture, soft lighting and full bookcases that customers are free to browse.
