Coffee shop collaboration brings micro bookstore to Commack cafe

Inside Mimi’s Coffee Shop, what started as a simple cup of coffee has grown into something more — a warm, inviting space where books, conversation and community come together.

Opened late last year by owner Hong Liu, the café at 42 Jericho Turnpike in Commack’s Mayfair Shopping Center has recently expanded through a partnership with Sharon Amari, founder of the online bookstore Page After Page.

The collaboration has created what the pair call a “micro bookstore” inside the shop.

“I figured it’s fitting,” Amari said. “We’ve got probably 300 books… We’re not like Barnes & Noble, but we don’t want to be.”

A shop built on family

For Liu, of Melville, the café is deeply personal — rooted in family and a major life shift.

After years working on Wall Street, she stepped away from her career to spend more time with her children.

“I said, I cannot continue this. I wanted to be a full-time mom,” Liu said. “Nothing could stop me.”

That decision eventually led her to coffee.

A trip to the Dominican Republic introduced her to a style she couldn’t find locally.

“I said, ‘I will bring this type of coffee to my town,’” she said.

What began as an idea turned into years of learning, planning and navigating permits — all without prior experience.

“I had zero experience,” she said. “I didn’t know where to start.”

Still, she pushed forward and opened Mimi’s — a café built not just around coffee, but connection.

“I wanted to create a place where families can come, spend time together, talk,” she said. “Coffee shops are important to family life.”

From book club to bookstore

For Amari, of East Northport, the path to books was just as unexpected.

“I didn’t read as a child, I hated it,” she said with a laugh.

That changed in her 40s after reluctantly joining a friend’s book club. She soon started her own, hosting it at home for years.

That passion grew into a business.

“I said, you know what? I’m going to do an online store. I’m going to sell books,” she said.

About a year later, she walked into Mimi’s and saw an opportunity.

“I said, ‘Hey, I want to do something here … do you mind?’ And she said, absolutely, come do it,” Amari said.

What started as a handful of pop-ups quickly gained traction.

“I did four pop-ups and then Hong said, ‘Why don’t we make it more permanent?’” she said.

Micro, with big appeal

Today, the café features a curated selection of books — new and used — sourced from estate sales, thrift shops and community donations. Customers browse while waiting for their drinks, often discovering something unexpected.

“They walk in, they wait for coffee, and they look around,” Amari said.

It’s a simple idea, but one that’s resonating. Together, Liu and Amari have created something that goes beyond retail.

“This is for the community,” Liu said. “People come here and they want to stay for a while.”

With games, cozy seating and a welcoming atmosphere, the space encourages people to unplug and connect. Even their partnership reflects that spirit.

“We didn’t know each other before,” Amari said. “But we just hit it off.”

The next chapter

Looking ahead, the pair plan to host local author events, book signings and more community-driven programming.

“We’re hoping to get more and more word out there that we’re here,” Amari said.

For now, the focus remains the same: building something meaningful, one cup of coffee and one book at a time.

Top photo of Sharon Amari and Hong Liu. All photos by Julianne Mosher.