Get Booked at Downtown Books & Coffee!
After many years of wanting, Downtown Auburn can finally boast it offers an independently owned bookstore! The store is located at 66 Genesee Street, next to Fabric Fair Upholstery, a few doors east of the corner of South Street.
Stacked on hand-built, custom-made shelving and display units, shoppers will see a great selection of new books, with everything from best-selling authors, a children’s section, local history section, to the work of resident authors. Owner John Colvin certainly aims to please his customers, and is very open to suggestions from the community on what the store should stock. They can also special order books as well.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff members Chris Emerson and Caroline Cregg worked with Colvin, past manager at Walden Books, for many years. After the store closed at Fingerlakes Mall, the crew pulled their skills together to head off on their own and create what the community would of sorely missed- not having a full-service bookstore.
Additional store staff is comprised of Colvin’s family members, including his father, who helped financially back the enterprise, and his mother who designed the store’s interior space equipped with a couch and comfy chairs to relax in. His sister, who is interested in working with the public, is organizing a book club and children’s clubs and activities.
Other events include book signings by local authors, like the latest edition of “Now We’re Talking: the Story of Ted Case and Sound-On-Film.” Authors Antonia K. Colella and Luke were featured at the bookstore’s grand opening on June 19th.
Keeping with the independent and local theme, the bookstore’s coffee bar offers a wide variety of locally roasted, high-quality coffee from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters. The selection adapts to the season, and now includes flavored and frozen coffee drinks for summer.
What’s better than coffee and a baked good? A Mema’s Deli & Sweet Shoppe cookie in the shape of a bookmark! These were featured at the store’s grand opening, showing another supportive collaboration with independent entrepreneurs, whose businesses help make Auburn unique and special.
Colvin has already enjoyed an outpouring of support from the Downtown Auburn BID, the City, and many of the businesses downtown. Downtown Books & Coffee is a great compliment to long-standing downtown business Meyer’s Bookbinding Co. specializing in book restoration, hard-cover book bindings and much more.
Downtown Books & Coffee’s hours are Monday – Saturday 8:30AM – 7:30PM, and Sunday Noon – 4PM. Stay tuned, a website and WiFi internet service are in the works, and will be available very soon. For further information, visit their Facebook page.
The store’s number is (315) 515-3411 and e-mail: downtownbooksandcoffee@gmail.com. Please do your part to support this new independent business!
