About Rudy and Me
In the spring of 2008, my husband Rudy and I were driving through Camden East while house hunting in the area. At the same time, I was hoping to find an interesting retail shop to purchase or run and fell in love with the Bookstore Café as soon as I saw it.
Rudy and I moved to Hartington and took over the Café from Les Jones and Judy Rauliuk. I was previously a Coordinator at Sunnybrook Research Institute and I have a strong background in family business, starting at the tender age of 10 when my dad would leave me in charge of the retail counter at his Garden Centre (Richview Nursery in Richmond Hill). Now my dad helps me out by providing advice and supplying me with antique tools from his massive collection at home.
Les and Judy still help out and still collect stuff for the Café to sell. The Bookstore Café was originally started by Les and Judy, who had fallen in love with the building and wanted to put it to a use befitting its history. For nine years they collected a vast amount of books, antiques, old photos and paintings and stocked three floors of space in the beautiful limestone building. They left the original shelving units in the main part of the Bookstore Café.
Meet the Staff
Mary Ann Dietrich • I am the owner/operator of the Bookstore Café. I love spending time around the vast amount of books and sorting through the many other antiques and interesting items to be found. I can be found at the Bookstore Café most days.
Gwen • Gwen is my second in command. She helps out on the busy days and keeps me on my toes. Gwen lives in Camden East and enjoys taking care of the day to day customers that come in from all over.
Vicki • Vicki is the great baker who brings in all the wonderful home baked goodies for the Bookstore Café patrons to enjoy. Vicki definitely bakes with love as this is the ideal job for her. She gets to stay home keeping her three dogs company while she dreams up new treats for us to try at the Bookstore Café.
LuAnn • LuAnn has been cooking for the Bookstore Café for many years. She is a phenomenal chef who comes up with the most wonderful soups and main courses. People who normally hate carrots, love her Carrot Soup. People who ordinarily hate lima beans, love her Lima-Veg Soup. From her Martini Chicken to her Mushroom Ragôut, she always has something new up her sleeve for the Bookstore Café patrons to try out.
Sonja & Jim • Sonja and Jim, two of my three children, also help out from time to time when they can. There is never an end to the dusting and sorting that is required at the Bookstore Café!
Come in for a visit and get to know us! We'd love to meet you.
A Brief History of the Bookstore Café
Built of limestone, the general store features such Classic Revival design elements as the cornice return and lunette type window on a Georgian-styled structure. The general store was often the centre of the community and this building is one of the few that remain in Camden East to confirm the main commercial district which at one time featured five hotels, a harness shop, a granary, a bank and a post office.
Junction of County Roads 1 & 4, Camden East, Ontario, K0K 1J0