Sophie and Stuart Raymond don’t have typical work days at Hodgepodge Books and Taproom, a book bar set to open this spring. Some days, they call their architect to make construction decisions, go back and forth with the City of Eugene for permits and rip up decades-old carpeting. Other days, they are left twiddling their thumbs and wishing there was more to do.
Sophie and Stuart met in Portland and lived there until 2021 when they moved to Eugene for Stuart to go to law school. He dropped out after a few weeks. Between then and February of 2024, when they came up with the idea for the bookbar, Sophie briefly worked as a teacher online.
“I don’t think I’m built for it,” Sophie said, laughing. She then worked at a bookstore in Eugene, which was their first foray into the book industry.
Sophie loves books and Stuart loves beer. Combine the two, and you have a book bar — think Rennie’s meets the Eugene Public Library. When the renovation dust settles, the book bar will have a variety of books (highlighting translated works), a 10 tap kegerator with hand-picked brews and two enthusiastic owners reminding you to “read, ya dingus!”
“We saw this property and were like, ‘that’s exactly what we had in mind for this,’” Stuart said, referring to the gray-sided house on E. 14th Ave. that will become Hodgepodge. The accented red chimney sticks out from down the street. “It’s in a good location. It was zoned properly, which is rare for a house like that.”
Although they aimed to open in September of 2024, the process went slower than they would’ve hoped, with the new anticipated opening date being April 19th. They began renovations in October, nearly eight months after initially finding the building. The reason for the lengthy process?
“The first part was permits,” Stuart said, looking at Sophie. The delay makes sense — the house is 124 years old. “We had to go back and forth with the city twice, and each time was like a four week thing. Then it was just random stuff, like, ‘Oh, we need the second floor exit.’”
Construction has still been a fulfilling process. Seeing their vision come to life with the original hardwood floors, colonial-style windows that look out toward Spencer’s Butte and the library room has kept the pair motivated amidst setbacks.
“I’d say the vibe we’re going for is like, cozy library, but practical,” Sophie said.
Sophie and Stuart have also been able to connect with the community in the meantime — hosting a literature competition to connect with local authors, pop-ups at breweries and tile painting.
“For two days, people could just come in and paint tiles. Then we’re going to make it into some type of mural, and we’ll hang it up,” Stuart said. “That was just super fun to get to talk to real people face to face who are excited.”
Working together has also been a big part of the process, and an enjoyable one — which is obvious if you meet Sophie and Stuart.
“We’ve been learning a lot about each other. It’s been really awesome creating this thing together,” Sophie said. “You’ve always got someone in your court, so if I’m stressed out he can feel and empathize with it.”
It’s nearly impossible not to share the excitement they have for the book bar. While Sophie lights up talking about books, Stuart beams when the prospective drink menu options (local beer, ciders, kombucha and cocktails) come up.
“It’s fun to share this,” Sophie said. “So it’s been so fun for the community to interact and participate, and it makes us feel amazing.”
When they do open, Sophie and Stuart want the book bar to be a place for everyone — whether you want a place to read quietly or have a conversation about books over a pint.
While it’s been a big learning process, from getting permits to picking out paint shades, the couple has enjoyed the journey, and they look forward to when they can open the book bar to conversation, hand-picked books and local beers.
