New Brockton Bookstore and Cafe Aims to Boost Literacy, Social Networking
A new bookstore and ice cream cafe in Brockton is moving beyond covers and cones to champion literacy education and social networking for the community’s immigrant population.
The Dr. Ellie Paris Social Bookstore and Ice Cream Cafe, at 278 Main St., is only a few blocks from Brockton’s city hall and the courthouse. It’s owned and managed by Ellie Paris-Miranda, a tenure-track assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Wheaton College in Norton.
Paris-Miranda, an immigrant from Cape Verde, said she intentionally wanted her business to be at the heart of culture and community in Brockton. “We believe every individual deserves access to valuable information, resources, and opportunities for advancement, prosperity, and growth, regardless of the community they were born in or live in,” Paris-Miranda said in an interview with The Enterprise.
To that end, Paris-Miranda has filled the bookstore’s shelves with works written in various languages and resources for business strategy and financial planning. In the future, she hopes to create English-language classes and offer workshops on entrepreneurship, homeownership resources, and personal finance.
Paris-Miranda said she wanted the interior of her shop to reflect a feeling of home and warmth, a place to relax, pick up a good book, and read. Food and beverages in the form of Belgian waffles, French cafes, flatbreads, sandwiches, and creamy ice cream make the experience even more indulgent.
In her mission to lift up the Brockton community, Paris-Miranda recently introduced the Monday Community Champion Initiative. Each week on the business’s Facebook page, she highlights an individual who is making a difference in Brockton.
She hopes that the success of her bookstore and cafe in Brockton will inspire more locations in low-income communities to serve people in need of love and support.
