Atlanta owner runs wine-and-book bar alongside crime lab job

Walker, 42, first imagined the business during the early pandemic, when online conversations with friends offered a break from COVID-related stress. In 2020, she drove along Main Street in the Atlanta-area village where she grew up, spotted an empty storefront and contacted a real estate agent. The first prospective tenant withdrew less than a week after signing, and Walker put down a deposit at the end of the year.

She chose a wine-and-book bar rather than a full-service restaurant, mindful of existing restaurants nearby and businesses expected to arrive. Opening brought pandemic supply-chain problems and a tight schedule: permits, electrical and plumbing work, furniture and appliances all had to be lined up before a planned July 16, 2021, soft opening. Orders for three dishwashers were lost or canceled. The soft opening went ahead, followed by a ribbon-cutting in August.

Walker keeps The Vibrary open three days a week while holding her crime lab job. During the first two years, friends sometimes ran the bar for a couple of hours so she could nap. She says balancing the two jobs has meant giving up time with family and friends, as well as many nights of sleep; she generally keeps Sundays for rest, though the business sometimes hosts events then.

In its fifth year, the business remains focused on providing a place to gather without traveling to downtown Atlanta or Decatur. Books have not become a major source of sales, Walker said, prompting a shift in emphasis. The Village’s designation as an entertainment district also allows participating businesses to give patrons stickers permitting them to walk around with wine. Walker hopes to bring in enough revenue to hire more staff, reduce her day-to-day role and eventually open additional locations.