Melati Parker was busy with a fast-paced, intense IT career, a husband, and two young children. A native of Jakarta, Indonesia who had grown up in Gilbert but then moved to Nashville, she was looking for something different, something slower and more fulfilling.
The family picked up and moved to Tempe, drawn by the schools and community.
Parker left her IT role, and self-reflection kept bringing her back to wanting to open a bookstore. Her dream, she says, was that she “wanted to bring a space that you could walk to; bring your kids to. Where you could grab coffee, learn to arrange flowers, and meet a friend, or bring friends by who are visiting from out of town.”
She wanted “a place for the community to have.”
Parker, her husband Andy, and their two children found a space near Warner Road and McClintock Drive and went to work to create what is now Wijaya House, opening the doors in September 2023.
“Opening was a labor of love. The kids helped, Andy helped,” she says. “We opened in three months, and it was such an amazing accomplishment.”
Parker knew she wanted to offer more than just new books, so she also created a community book swap—on Sundays, bring in a book and take a different one at the swap for free—and added flower arranging classes, which are just $25 to $65 and are offered every Saturday.
“The goal is to be able to learn a skill and be less intimidated in learning a new skill,” she explains. “And touching flowers is a form of therapy.”
She also launched the Craft, Coffee, Book Club, where a $35 monthly membership includes a book, drinks, and a mimosa monthly, as well as other perks and discounts.
The newest addition is a service where she designs reading nooks and libraries for homes and businesses, with Wijaya House showcasing some of the custom furniture items she offers.
As for the locale’s name, Parker explains that not only does Wijaya mean “winning” in Indonesian, but it was the name of her childhood home in Jakarta.
“We had fresh fruit trees, flower gardens, and little baby chicks, ducks, and rabbits,” she says. “And there was always coffee and food being made. It was very homey, and I just had forever this vibe that I carried in my heart.
“I’m glad that we named it Wijaya because it’s more than just a bookshop, it’s an entire vibe. It’s something for your soul, a warm drink, food, a nourishing place.”
In addition to being a nourishing place for the area, Wijaya House has also become a nourishing place for Parker. Nine months after the bookstore opened, Andy passed unexpectedly of a cardiac event. The community rallied around both her and the children.
“No one has really let off the kindness pedal,” she says with a hint of wonder in her voice. “Everyone is still really kind. It’s very surreal to experience that level of compassion and empathy. That’s what makes South Tempe super special.”
As much as they embrace her, she wants Wijaya House to embrace them back.
“The customers and the community are amazing,” she says. “I meet so many people who are going through all stages of life and it’s so different than how I used to spend my life. When I ran digital teams, it was fast-paced, aggressive, and transactional. Now, being an owner-operator, I don’t have quarterly metrics to meet, other than did I pay my rent, can I order more books, coffee, flowers, and can I keep the lights on. That brings a sense of peace that I hope people get when they walk in here. It’s not what can we get from each other but what can we learn from each other.”