On November 8th, Comic Controllers, a local third space in downtown Clermont, hosted a pop up for two local bookstore locations: The Black Rabbit Bookbar in Clermont and The New Romantics in Orlando.

Comic Controllers is a perfect third space for college students as it is completely free to use their gaming services. They offer a few different gaming options, like playing on the new Nintendo Switch 2 or some retro games on smaller TVs. Tipping is encouraged for these gaming services, but you could also buy a drink at a location hosted inside Comic Controllers: Pop Culture Soda Shoppe.

Pop Culture Soda Shoppe is an affordable way to try out themed soda drinks alongside the gaming services offered. During the pop up, Pop Culture offered themed drinks for each bookstore. Each location had a variety of themed drinks, but the most notable ones were the namesake ones. I tried The New Romantics drink, which was a cream soda, vanilla ice cream float with strawberry popping pearls topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. This was a very tasty drink, and you can only try it during these pop ups.

The New Romantics is located in Orlando and has pop ups in Comic Controllers frequently. The New Romantics aesthetic is softer and targeted at the people who enjoy romantic novels of every kind. The range of romance novels varies from cheesy romantic tropes like enemies to lovers in a small hometown to fantasy romance. They offer books to be bought in store and online alongside kindle accessories, stickers, and more.

The Black Rabbit Bookbar is located in Clermont only minutes away from Comic Controllers, and does pop ups alongside The New Romantics. The aesthetic of The Black Rabbit is spooky, and targeted to people who prefer dark romance. They are more than a bookstore; they are a café as well. You could use this location as another third space as you can go there and enjoy the ambience for free, or get a drink and check out the books they offer.

Local pop ups are important because it’s a way local small businesses can network, and expand their products to a wider audience. I’ve always wanted to go to The New Romantics, but can never make time as it’s out of my way, but because of the pop up I was able to check out what they had to offer. The Black Rabbit Bookbar is a location I heard of prior, but did not know it was only minutes away from Comic Controllers. I enjoyed seeing them at the pop up because I was able to get a taste of what they offer.

College students need more third spaces, either a space to study or decompress after a long school day. Comic Controllers is a perfect place because you can play games, browse the pop culture references and check out the small local business booth installed inside. The Black Rabbit Bookbar is another great alternative, especially if you prefer spooky vibes. These locations are less than 20 minutes away from Lake-Sumter State College’s South Lake campus. Since you can use these location services for free, these are great options for college students to go to decompress, study, or hang out with friends.

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