Three months after a sprinkler system explosion flooded their store with almost a foot of water, Carol and Dick Lobo's Sarasota News and Books in Sarasota, Fla., reopened on June 28 with a fresh inventory and new fixtures and computer system.
It started with a "teeny, tiny little leak in the sprinkler system that we'd been keeping an eye on over the last eight or nine months," Carol Lobo told PW. "We finally had plumbers come in and fix it. But the repair wasn't done properly. When they turned the water back on, the pressure built up, and it exploded like a bomb." More than 30,000 gallons of water sprayed out during the 20 minutes it took for the city to turn off the main water valve. "Books were found floating nearly a block away on Main Street," said Lobo. "Fortunately, the city of Sarasota did credit our water bill. We laugh about it now because when we went through Hurricane Andrew, we were so happy to be on high ground. Then we had this hurricane inside our store. We're talking The Poseidon Adventure."
The water damaged the walls, floors, inventory and computer system of the four-year-old bookstore and café. "We sold our inventory to a salvage company—something I didn't even know existed until then," she said. The plumbing company's liability insurance paid for the new inventory and the reconstruction of the store.
"The hardest part was getting through the first month of not knowing if we'd get the money or how long it would take," said Lobo. "Once we had a definitive answer to our financial questions, we moved forward." Early on, the Lobos decided to keep their entire bookselling staff on the payroll while the store was closed. Lobo explained: "It was the only moral choice we could make. And it was a good decision, because the staff has had a lot to work on. Because the computers were ruined, we had to get all new computers and upgraded our BookLog system. We also had to stop the flow of inventory coming into the store. We get hundreds of boxes a day from different publishers and distributors; closing off that pipeline was a lot of work."
Once BookLog was up and running, the Lobos and their staff were able to analyze the sales and inventory levels for specific categories so they could make more informed decisions on what to bring back into the store. "We now have four years of experience to help us restock our departments," said Lobo. "There's something about the staff rebuilding the inventory and being involved in all levels of this rebirth that has revitalized everyone. It's very exciting to see. There's so much enthusiasm about the reopening of what amounts to a brand-new store."
While the staff was busy fine-tuning the inventory, a local construction company that specializes in disaster repair went to work on the store's interior. "What could have taken three months to repair, they were able to get done in five weeks," said Lobo. "They handled all the structural issues, took everything out of the store and rebuilt it." The new dark wood furniture, bookcases and magazine racks have allowed the owners to redesign the store's traffic flow. They have also increased the amount of space devoted to books and created a new flex space for author events—shelving units can be wheeled away to accommodate seating for 50 people. The redesigned store now features an entire wall section dedicated to the Book Sense bestseller list.
To celebrate their return to business, the Lobos gave away $4,000 worth of books, coffee, café items, Italian ceramics and gifts during the first week of business, through July 5. The store also offered a free cup of Torrefazione Italia coffee to every customer who bought a book.
During the opening week, the store hosted two author events with Tim Dorsey, author of Triggerfish Twist (Morrow), and Shelly Brady, author of Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter (New World Library). On July 26, the store will host award-winning mystery novelist Nancy Pickard, who will sign The Truth Hurts (S&S).
The support from the community has been gratifying, Carol Lobo said. "Usually when a bookstore closes, you read all these glowing comments from customers on how much the store meant to them. Our local paper was writing all these wonderful things about our rebirth, rather than our closing. Our community's support has really blown our minds. When we looked at the mountain of work ahead of us, our neighbors convinced us we could climb it."
