Athena Stationery & Cafe LLC began when Daphne and Becca were catching up over dinner in late summer and realized they were craving the same thing: a friendly neighborhood shop that felt inviting, creative, and worth returning to.
Becca was frustrated by the uncertainty of visiting professor life and the chance she might have to leave Winston-Salem, while Daphne was nervous about starting a screenwriting graduate program and whether the work would follow.
Somewhere in that conversation, worries turned into a daydream, and the daydream turned into a real plan for a business they would actually be proud to build in the place they both call home. They kept coming back to what they missed from the towns where they studied: stationery shops that made their forever-academic hearts sing.
After brainstorming names that didn’t quite fit, Daphne’s husband, James, suggested Athena, and it felt instantly right. It honors the goddess of craft, wisdom, and good counsel, as well as Becca’s American Foxhound.
We wanted a comfortable place that makes it easy to unwind and reconnect with the arts. This is the kind of shop you can walk into for one small thing and leave feeling a little more grounded.
Crafting, community, and a steady commitment to building a space where creativity and connection can live side by side. Whether you are learning something new or simply taking a breather, you are welcome here.
A warm welcome, thoughtful shelves, and a calm corner that make it easier to create something by hand. Here you can find your go-to pen, realize you love writing things out longhand, or connect with a community group that brings you back.
Daphne is a first-year screenwriting graduate school student at UNCSA who has always taken the scenic route toward creative work. She brings a love of storytelling, resourcefulness, and a steady curiosity to Athena, along with the warm, welcoming energy that makes the shop feel like a neighborhood staple. When she is not at the store, she is usually tucked into a coffee shop, working on her latest script.
Becca is a professor of interpersonal communication and social science research at Wake Forest University who decided it was time to build something more stable and community-rooted. After growing up in places where stationery shops were simply part of life, she helped bring that same kind of everyday magic to Athena. Outside the shop, she is often at a book club meeting, hanging out with friends, or going for a walk with her dog, Athena.
