Tempe-based independent bookshop, Wijaya House expanded to Tucson, bringing curated books, fresh flowers and community to Tucson’s Cartel Roasting Co.
Wijaya House’s founder, Melati Parker, opened the first location in South Tempe about three years ago after leaving the corporate workspace. The shop offers a selection of curated books, floral bouquets, crafting events, and of course, coffee.
“My first job in high school was for a book store,” Parker said. “When I was doing the business plans, I borrowed from some other businesses I had owned in the past, and one of them was a catering company. I did flowers for tablescapes and buffet decorations. So I was like, ‘what if I partner or if I buddy up books and flowers?’ which are two of my favorite things.”
Flower bouquets are for sale at Wijaya House, 2516 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Sep. 10, 2026.
The mission of Wijaya house, she said, is to give customers the opportunity to step away from their phones and get creative while connecting with their community.
“Beyond just buying a book, we're trying to offer Tucson a moment to get off the screen and just reconnect with themselves or with someone that they love,” Parker said. “Take a floral class with us, do a craft with us, learn how to make soap with us, bedazzle a book with us.”
Among some of the workshops Wijaya House offers are crochet crafts and bouquet building.
“We love to bring people in.” Books Manager Lourdes Leiner said. “We really want to make opportunities to regulate the nervous system, to find a new place to cultivate beauty, and for people to rediscover literacy in a more comfortable and feminine forward environment.”
Lourdes Leiner, Wijaya House manager and local author poses for a portrait inside the new storefront, 2516 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Sep. 10, 2026.
At the new Tucson shop, books manager Lourdes Leiner, said customers can expect a selection of books that has something for every kind of reader, including “Weird Girl Literature,” and “Girly Pop Literature.”
“We wanted to bring a well-balanced selection that also isn't overwhelming,” she said. “This collection is going to be elevating experimental works for our deep level readers, we have our classics, and we have all things folded in.”
An afternoon customer browses the selection of books available for purchase at Wjaya House, 2516 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Sep. 10, 2026.
Leiner said she also hopes to have regular literacy focused programming through collaborative events with the Pima County Public Library.
“Cartel Coffee wanted to see more activity in this space around books and more community forward events, so we have collaborated with them to start this new location to serve deeper in the community of Tucson and be able to facilitate some of that,” she said. “I'm going to be doing tons of social advocacy work, bringing in authors, bringing in our library, and doing community reading programs for not only college students but youths and elderly populations.”
Since Wijaya House officially opened inside Cartel Roasting Co. on Sept. 5, Leiner said the positive response from the community has been overwhelming.
Cartel Roasting Co. customers hangout while other shop around Wijaya House, 2516 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Sep. 10, 2026.
“We had New York Times bestsellers coming, we had journalists from all across Tucson,” she said. “And more than that, we had the community to say how excited they were to feel that space filled with all kinds of good energy and good vibes- beautiful flowers and fun books and crafts. People are very excited to have community events.”
Their very first events kick off Sept. 25 and 26 with Write and Tell, a poetry event that includes an open mic and, of course, a writing workshop.
“Then we have some really awesome opportunities coming in from the Museum of Contemporary Art as well as the Pima County Public Library,” Leiner said. “In October through December, the MOCA will be having a featured new exhibition. We will be carrying all kinds of external resources for their marketing department, likely having some featured artists come in, and hopefully do a few panels on the exhibition so that people in the community hear more about it.”
Leiner said she is excited for the future of the collaboration with Cartel Roasting Co. and to provide another third-space for the Tucson community.
A wide selection of books are available for purchase at Wijaya House, 2516 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Sep. 10, 2026.
“To have the people that come in here that want to engage with the community, and be so excited has been so refreshing,” she said. “There's something about the magic that happens when you have a cup of coffee, you smell some flowers, you open a book, and you have something to do with your hands. And I'm just glad people have been connecting with that.”
