Hello! I’m Desiree, owner of dym, the first indie book and boba shop. I lovingly run this shop with my husband, two teens, and a small staff. We first opened our doors on January 1, 2025. Yes, we did open six days before the Eaton Fire (1/7/2025).

I’m often asked about the shop’s name. To begin with, dym is pronounced as “dim”. It is both an acronym and a call-to-action to delight, diversify, and decolonize your mind. Whatever reading may mean to you (as long as it starts with a D!). Reading is often seen as a chore or an unattainable hobby/lifestyle once a person exits school. This is absolutely not true. Reading is for everybody. Reading is for enjoyment. By simply immersing yourself in an engaging story, you are learning about what it means to be in another person’s shoes, to live another person’s life experience, be it fiction or reality. Storytelling connects us.

Just like storytelling, I believe that drinks connect us as well. Although boba tea has been around for quite some time, it has really risen in popularity in recent years. The dym menu is intended to diversify your palette by offering flavors you wouldn’t normally see elsewhere.

I decided to make dym a book&boba cafe rather than one or the other. My goal is to trick non-readers into becoming readers. The boba, as you guessed, is the lure. One day, one visit while they wait for their drink, a pretty, cool, or interesting cover will catch their eye. I will notice and take a little longer with their drink (shh!) so they can read the summary. Then, hopefully, they’ll get that book and enjoy what storytelling has to offer.

dym’s purpose is to encourage open-mindedness, bravery, and connection. We’ll see you soon.