A New Chapter at Buffalo Street Books: Open Book Cafe Celebrates Its Ribbon Cutting

Guests celebrate with the cut blue ribbon at Open Book Cafe & Reading Room inside Buffalo Street Books.

Open Book Cafe & Reading Room celebrated its ribbon cutting on November 12, 2026, bringing a new gathering place into the heart of Buffalo Street Books in Downtown Ithaca.

The celebration brought people together around the café counter, with a blue ribbon stretched across the room and smiles all around as the scissors made their cut. Against a backdrop of colorful murals, the moment marked a new chapter for a space built around hand-crafted drinks, conversation, and connection.

A place to pause, connect, and turn a page

Inside Buffalo Street Books, Open Book Cafe & Reading Room pairs a café setting with the pleasure of being surrounded by books. The counter and seating area offer a place to take a break, meet someone for a conversation, or settle in after browsing the shelves.

Our photos from the celebration capture the ribbon-cutting moment, guests gathering in the café, and the bookstore that makes this setting distinctly its own.

Guests gather beside the café counter and colorful butterfly mural.
A gathering place inside Buffalo Street Books.
Guests smile and applaud following the Open Book Cafe ribbon cutting.
Smiles following the ribbon-cutting moment.
Guests sign the blue ribbon at the wooden café counter.
Adding signatures to the celebration’s blue ribbon.
Bookshelves and displays inside Buffalo Street Books.
Books to browse just beyond the café.

Photos: Adam Kokoni / Downtown Ithaca Alliance.

Visit Open Book Cafe & Reading Room

Find Open Book Cafe & Reading Room inside Buffalo Street Books at 215 N. Cayuga Street in the DeWitt Mall. Make it part of your next Downtown Ithaca visit: browse for your next read, enjoy a hand-crafted drink, and spend some time in this welcoming community space.

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance congratulates the Open Book Cafe & Reading Room team and thanks everyone who joined the ribbon-cutting celebration.