Around Indies

Sandmeyer’s Celebrates 30 Years

On May 16, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore in Chicago, Illinois, celebrated its 30^th anniversary with a party at a jazz club, Jazz Showcase. Seven local writers, emceed by owner Ulrich Sandmeyer, read to a full house of customers and friends. Harry and the Hitmen, a California Motown band featuring the Sandmeyers’ son Rolf, closed the evening with a lively performance.

Copperfield’s on the Move

Copperfield’s Books in Napa, California, is relocating to a smaller location and streamlining its inventory, as reported by the Napa Valley Register.

“The nature of bookstores has changed over the years, and the footprint for bookstores as a whole seems to be shrinking,” said co-owner and founder Paul Jaffe. “Some people call it ‘downsizing,’ but we call it right-sizing.”

The new space, which was originally part of a Whole Foods Market, gives the bookstore access to a culinary center and kitchen. Copperfield’s will utilize these for a new chef/author series called “Copperfield’s Cooks.”

Copperfield’s was founded in 1981 and has five other locations in California.

Phoenix Holds Grand Opening

Last weekend, Phoenix Books in Burlington, Vermont, held a grand opening celebration that began last Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and Local Authors Day, an opportunity for Vermont writers to introduce themselves to the community and get involved in the store’s consignment program, geared toward self-published authors.

Owners Michael DeSanto and Renee Reiner plan to stock three copies of local writers’ books for at least six months, “no questions asked,” DeSanto told Seven Days. No money will change hands until a book sells, but for a fee, authors can use the store’s resources for promotional events.

Several other author events were held on Saturday and Sunday.

The Bookery Nook Gets Mobbed

Last month, the Office of Economic Development in Denver launched a cash mob initiative to help celebrate National Small Business Week. The office invited retail businesses to be on the receiving end, using its Facebook page to conduct an online poll to select the first business to be mobbed.

The Bookery Nook and its adjoining ice cream parlor were chosen to be mobbed on May 24, and about 20 to 30 customers visited the store during the two-hour block, $20 in hand.

“It wasn’t huge,” co-owner Gary Piserchio told the Denver Post, “but it was a lot more than we get on a normal weekday. All of them bought books, and some bought ice cream. We were pleasantly surprised.”