This popular little cafe hidden in a Wichita book shop gets a big makeover at age 24
Only Wichitans with long memories and a love of reading likely remember that Watermark Books & Cafe hasn’t always been in Lincoln Heights Village at Douglas and Oliver.
Watermark initially opened in 1977 at 149 N. Broadway, moving to 7732 E. Central, next to Piccadilly Market, in 1989. It added a children’s store next door in 1992.
But when owner Sarah Bagby decided to combine the two stores and move them to their current spot in 1996, she made an addition — a tiny cafe that would serve customers pastries and a light lunch. Old Mill Tasty Shop owner Mary Wright helped develop the menu.
Over the next 24 years, the cafe grew in popularity. Now, the cozy space on the south side of the shop is often packed with diners who came specifically for the cafe.
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On Monday, the book store closed for the day, and its little restaurant, known for its lemon curd scones and tomato bisque, got a major makeover that included a darker paint job and the addition of some modern-looking tables and chairs that will allow seating for about 40.
“We get a lot of visitors from out of town,” Bagby said. “They’re visiting somebody and it’s a destination for them when they visit. People move in and out of the neighborhood, and we’re always seeing new faces. And now that the trolley comes down here, it’s a pretty popular place.”
The trolley Bagby speaks of is Wichita’s free Q-Line, which runs up and down Douglas and goes as far as Watermark on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.
The cafe’s permanent menu includes a long list of sandwiches and salads named after famous novels. Catcher in the Rye features turkey, salami and Swiss on marbled rye bread, while I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is grilled chicken, kale pesto, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and provolone on focaccia.
Its fancy espresso drinks also share names with books, including a latte named Jane Eyre. “We tried to keep this crazy lady in the attic,” the description of the drink reads, “but once the chocolatee, coconut and almond were mixed with the espresso and steamed milk, there was no stopping the inferno.”
The cafe also offers breakfast items like biscuits and gravy, quiche Florentine and yogurt parfait, and it always has tomato bisque and a soup of the day available. Cakes, cookies and other baked goods are also a big draw.
The menu isn’t changing with the remodel, Bagby said, but the kitchen will continue its tradition of adding a few recipes from a featured cookbook the book store is carrying each month. This month, the cafe is featuring selections from “Rage Baking” by Katherine Alford and Kathy Gunst. On Tuesdays in March, visitors can try Brownie Rollout Cookies and Root Beer Cake. on Thursdays, they can get Almond Cake with Ricotta and Jam. And on Fridays, the selection will be Don’t Call Me Honey Cakes.
Watermark Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
Watermark Cafe menu
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 10:08 AM.
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