New lemonade, sandwich shop opens in Central Library downtown

Illum, a new Tulsa-based concept, offers 21 flavors of lemonade and “flavorful sandwiches named to pay homage to Tulsa, past, present, and future, and light bites that cater to every palate,” it said in a news release.

“I think the surrounding area will be good for us,” said owner Onikah Asamoa-Caesar, who also owns Fulton Street Books & Coffee, the city’s only Black-owned bookstore.

Illum, located just to the right inside the library’s main south entrance, is Asamoa-Caesar’s first venture into the food and beverage business.

Its 21 flavors of lemonade are a nod to 1921, the year of the Tulsa Race Massacre, she said, and include varieties such as blueberry, butter pecan, ginger and jalapeno.

Illum also has a small selection of sandwiches with Tulsa-themed names.

“We wanted to feel very ‘Tulsa’ to people,” she said.

Illum will replace what was believed to be the first Starbucks to open in a public library, which opened inside Central Library in 2016.

The Starbucks, like many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2019, shuttered except as a to-go location and eventually closed.

Asamoa-Caesar said officials at the library reached out to her about setting up a food and beverage site in Central Library.

“They wanted it to complement the mission of the library,” she said. “And they wanted someone local.”

Illum also has a plant propagation wall, “providing space for Tulsa’s plant enthusiasts to exchange plant cuttings while fostering a sense of community and connection.”

In addition, Illum offers a curated selection of books for sale and themed community book exchanges.

“Illum aims to create a literary community bringing together the power of literacy and the joy of community,” the release says.

Asamoa-Caesar said she eventually hopes to expand Illum’s food menu and offer coffees.

She is moving her bookstore to Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District this fall, with hopes of carrying Black Wall Street’s legacy forward by promoting literacy.

Announced at its third anniversary event in July, Fulton Street is moving to 21 N. Greenwood Ave., next door to Greenwood Rising, and plans to open its new doors in October.

She said she is excited to move her bookstore to Greenwood and that she’s especially excited to promote literacy in the area by highlighting books by or about people of color.

The Central Library is located downtown between Fourth and Fifth Streets on Denver Avenue, north of the Tulsa County Courthouse.

Illum’s hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.