A New York campus preps for a downtown bookstore; a collegiate-themed restaurant and bookstore in Pennsylvania merge; and more.
Monroe College Adds a Large Bookstore in Downtown New Rochelle, N.Y.: This fall a new 9,000 sq. ft. bookstore and coffee shop operated by Barnes & Noble College will replace the school’s existing student store. The new space will have outdoor seating in the courtyard and a community events area for the general public. Barnes & Noble also operates Monroe’s other campus store in the Bronx.
Mt. Airy Used Bookstore Moves: After discovering he was cannibalizing his audience when he opened Alma Mater restaurant a few blocks from Mt. Airy Read & Eat last September, owner Jake Sudderth decided to combine the two Philly businesses. In addition to the bookstore, the restaurant also has a record store. In July, Sudderth completed renovations on his second Philly bookstore, the Roxborough Read & Eat, which had a soft opening opening last fall.
Bookstore Near Chicago’s Wrigley Field to Close: Co-owners Bob Roschka and Ronda Pilon are closing Bookworks’s bricks-and-mortar store in Wrigleyville on October 15. Rising rent, a changing neighborhood, and online retailers contributed to the decision to shutter the 32-year-old used and rare bookstore. The owners recently revamped the store’s website and will focus on selling books online.
The Bookstore in Sheboygan to Close: Owner Dale Brandt has begun a going out of business sale at his three-decade-old used Wisconsin bookstore. His lease expires at the end of September, and he’s about to start a new part-time job.
Books-A-Million, 2nd & Charles Ready Annual Book Drive: Books-A-Million and its 2nd & Charles 29-store bookstore mini chain are encouraging customers to buy new children’s books, including the newly released Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 and 2, by August 27. The books bought by customers participating in the drive will be donated to local schools and libraries for the upcoming school year.
