Jenny Ferrara and Michael Bourke knew they wanted to open a bookstore bar — they just needed the right neighborhood and community for it. They think they’ve found it on 50 Bogard St.
Ferrara and Bourke, who married in 2019 (City Paper covered their love story for a Valentine’s special back in 2017), started talking about a bookstore bar on their first date. A shared love of books and “a nice glass of wine” led to Philosophers & Fools, a bookstore that will serve wine, beer and snacks, and it’s now open.
“Whenever we travel we look up the local bookstores and go to as many as we can,” said Ferrara. “We’ve seen the cafe concept with some kind of wine or bar element and we know that it works in other places. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be great in Charleston? Why don’t we create that?’”
The project was funded in part by a successful kickstarter campaign at the end of 2023 which Ferrara said helped “alleviate some of the startup costs.” In addition to the generous donations of others, Ferrara and Bourke have poured a lot of their own sweat equity into Philosophers & Fools.
“We are painting ourselves and building all the bookshelves ourselves and we’re doing all the sourcing of decor and furnishings,” said Ferrara. They brought a contractor on board to work on electrical and plumbing and to build out the store’s bar.
The 1400-square-foot space will have a small seating area in addition to the bar, where Ferrara imagines guests cozying up with a drink and a book or perhaps serving as a space for small book clubs to meet.
Perfect pairings
Books are the star of the show at Philosophers & Fools, and Ferrara expects the store to start with an inventory of about 5,000 titles. “Hopefully there’s something for everyone,” she said, adding that sourcing books for the store has been the couple’s favorite part of the process.
“Our approach is that we want anyone who walks in to be able to find something that interests them,” she said. “We have a wide variety in all genres, from fiction to nonfiction to kids to young adult.”
Before you ever even walk into the store, you can get a book recommendation from Ferrara or Bourke — just head to philosophersandfools.com to see their lists from seasonal “books we’re excited for” to “staff picks.”
Ferrara wants guests to find something nice to sip on, too, and she and Bourke have partnered with Advintage Distributing to curate a solid list of wine and beer. The store will have NA drinks and coffee available too, as well as snack-y foods like popcorn, chips and sandwiches.
“As we’ve met with neighbors, the response we’ve gotten has been enthusiastic,” said Ferrara. “It’s really great to receive that support and excitement.”
Philosophers & Fools is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
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