Bedlam Book Cafe

Worcester, MA

“Worcester has everything, except a cool used bookstore!” That was what Nicole DiCello and Patrick Warner said when they moved to Worcester in the summer of 2014. At first, they tried to convince some of their close friends (who own independent bookstores in MA and VT) to open a bookstore in Worcester, to no avail. Temporarily deterred, they kept dreaming that someday they’d be in the position to open a store themselves. That time came in early 2018 when Nicole decided she was ready for a career change and wanted to pursue her passion. It was during this time of intense political and personal upheaval that Bedlam Book Cafe was born, and Nicole became the owner of Worcester’s next generation of bookstores. Patrick joined in to collaborate with Nicole. And while Nicole will be on-site operating the store day-to-day, together they will each manage and have input on this new vibrant intellectual and cultural space.