Construction Has Begun!!

Has it really been over five months since we began our renovations? I wish I could be writing this update to inform you of our Grand Re-Opening plans. However, Bestsellers Café is still undergoing extensive renovations with our sincere hope that we will be up and running by this Fall.

Every single person told me to expect the construction to go longer than first anticipated. We were blessed to find an alternate location for our Harry Potter Party last July and I thank ERA Andrew Realty and everyone involved in making the book premiere a success. At that time, we were hoping to be back in business by the end of August or beginning of September. After the structural engineer reviewed the building, it was determined that the front part of the building needs to be more structurally sound. Everyone involved knows that we want a building that is going to be safe for everyone. While construction has begun on the structural issues, our store won’t begin construction until the entire building is safe and secure. It is Mike Casoli’s, building owner and general contractor, intention to begin construction on the Bestsellers Café space as soon as the building is structurally sound.

We are reviewing the redesign of Bestsellers Café and look forward to the "new" look. It has always been our intention to keep the space as warm and friendly as it was before renovations. We have selected carpet, titles, ceiling tiles, and paint to allow the space to be as wonderful as it was during the past ten years. Yes, we are celebrating our 10th Anniversary on November 3 and look forward to the next ten successful years in Medford Square.

During the past several months, we have participated in the first Medford Square Market and have thoroughly enjoyed being able to see many of our customers. It has been heartwarming to hear how much we have been missed. The Market has been good for us and allowed us to explain to many people that Bestsellers Café will be returning to Medford Square and we are only renovating, albeit an extensive renovation. We have test-marketed an idea to expand our bread selection when we reopen so look for loaves of bread, foccacia, and larger variety of bread every day at Bestsellers Café.

The Market ends on October 18 so please patronize the remaining vendors who have worked tirelessly to make the Market a success. We have noticed a large decline in customers of the Market lately and know that the organizers of the Medford Square Market meet many challenges for next year and hope they can retain their current vendors, cultivate interest in many more vendors, and encourage larger groups of shoppers to make it all worth while. The notion of "If you build it, they will come" no longer applies in today’s consumer attitudes. We have all learned that much creativity is needed to market to the right consumers.

We begin our Holiday season with many hurdles ahead of us. We usually have a gigantic display of 2008 calendars all over the store at this time. We always have several shoppers shopping early for Christmas gifts and everyone is returning to a semblance of a routine after the start of the school year. We miss not having a storefront in Medford Square but remain grateful to those dedicated customers who continue to order their books through emails or phone calls.

Please don’t forget that we are still able to order books, calendars, and special gifts for you. Visit our website, www.bestsellers-cafe.com, email us at info@bestsellers-cafe.com, or call us at 781.391.7171. It is our intention to be there for you and do whatever we can to support the community.