Libri celebrates its first year in Yorktown Heights

As warmer weather approaches, Libri—the cozy coffee café, bookstore, and flower shop on Commerce Street—will celebrate its first anniversary this April, marking a year since it opened and quickly became a gathering place in town.

Owners Anita and Berat Bllaca, who immigrated to the United States from Albania about a decade ago, said they opened Libri to bring a more social, European-style coffee experience in Yorktown Heights–one centered on conversation rather than convenience.

"Back home, coffee is social," Berat said. "You sit down. You talk. You don't just grab your coffee and run."

Their concept grew from three things they love—Anita loves books, Berat loves coffee, and they both love flowers. The couple took a leap of faith, investing their savings into Libri and building every aspect of the shop themselves. Along the way, they learned how to navigate the challenges of opening a business, discovering the ropes as they went.

“You don't have to know every single thing from A to Z to start a business," Berat said.

Authenticity mattered to Anita and Berat from the very beginning, even as they were first developing the idea for the business.

"Being authentic is far better than trying to do something that someone else has done before," Anita said.

Libri has hosted book signings and author talks since opening, drawing customers who come to linger over their coffee, families who browse bookshelves, and neighbors stopping by to socialize.

Anita and Berat are looking forward to finding ways to celebrate Libri’s first year. The shop is expected to receive its beer and wine license, and the couple hopes to implement live music to go along with it. They recently launched a book club, which met for the first time on March 21.

Looking ahead, they plan to expand programming with events like Sunday morning reading for kids and open mic poetry events. Updates and details on upcoming events can be found on Libri’s social media pages.

The couple said they remain focused on deepening their roots in Yorktown while continuing to build the community they envisioned when they first opened their doors.

“Coffee is just the beginning,” Berat said. “What we really want is for people to come here, meet each other, and build a community.”