Bookstore, cultural haven coming to Cedar

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

What would you call a cozy retail shop that sells books, plants and art? Oh, it also hosts music and some craft workshops. Don’t forget the occasional food truck, and whatever else Rachel Zemanek dreams up.

Unsure what to call it? Zemanek calls it a snuggery. The dictionary definition is “a cozy or comfortable place,” which is just what she intends it to be. “It combines my love of nature and books,” Zemanek says.

You can also call it The Folded Leaf, because that’s what she’s calling it. She named it for the way some people mark their place in a book. The fact that those are also the organs of a plant that provide sustenance is a happy coincidence.

The Folded Leaf is located at 9044 S Kasson Street, across from the Cedar Tavern. Cedar’s newest retail entry is scheduled to open April 26.

The idea for a combo bookstore and plant store originally took root while Zemanek was living in North Carolina. “I bought a used shuttle bus and had a traveling book bus and plant store,” she says. After a decade as a firefighter and paramedic, she suffered a serious injury, and eventually opted to return to northern Michigan.

While the bus didn’t make the trip, the idea still percolated in her head. A couple months ago while driving through Cedar, she noticed a building for lease. Half a building actually, and even though it was a modest 1,100 square feet, she thought it ideal for hosting music and selling books and displaying art and – well, you get the idea.

“It’s cozy. I’m very much embracing that,” Zemanek says. Inside, there are comfy furnishings and plenty of light in the wide-open space. Bookshelves made by local artisans will line the walls, while others will be on wheels, allowing them to be moved out of the way when hosting events and workshops.

She’s being accompanied on this journey by her best friend, Kimberly Robinson. Zemanek says Robinson, an artist herself, will serve in part as an art manager. Wordsmith too, no doubt, as she is the one Zemanek credits as coming up with the idea of dubbing the Folded Leaf a snuggery.

Also on board is Finn, Zemanek’s rescue pup from the streets in South Carolina. “He’s the Folded Leaf’s official mascot.”

Zemanek intends to sell primarily used books but include new titles as well, especially those by local or Michigan-based authors; she estimates the breakdown will be roughly 70 percent used books and 30 percent new. She said the idea has been in the back of her mind since she was a youngster. “I’ve always been a book lover. I remember my dad reading The Hobbit to me. I thought about having a bookstore as a retirement goal. Retirement came early,” she says wryly, referring to her injury.

While Zemanek is embracing the store’s rather diminutive footprint, she’s also looking beyond the walls. She intends to spruce up the front patio and turn it into a seating area for people to relax and enjoy. No doubt that enjoyment will be enhanced when a food truck is on site.

Indoors, she is installing a small stage, which will be home to the Jeff Haas Trio and Big Fun on alternate Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30. There will also be music and other events, such as poetry readings, on Saturdays. The outdoor patio area could also become a site for occasional music.

While there are already plants in the windows, Zemanek anticipates even more greenery in the shop later this year and especially next, as her family farm in Cedar grows more plants this summer. She will focus on native plants.

In deference to its original role, the building is being renamed Cedar Station; its original use was as a full-service gas station. “Before we had the floor put in, you could see the marks from the lift,” says Robinson.

The Folded Leaf will also incorporate a fundraising element for a local non-profit in its events. As a former paramedic herself, Zemanek is upfront about supporting the mental health of first responders. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Northwest Michigan Peer Network and other non-profits.

Zemanek also works remotely in software development for First Due, a firm that provides fire and EMS agencies with software solutions to more safely and effectively run their operations. She says that ties back into her previous career.

The shop will officially open Saturday, April 26, with music by Carter Creek String Band. It will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except for the music night: Wednesdays and Saturdays, it will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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