In these economic times, it might seem scary or daring to open a small independent bookstore devoted solely to new, antiquarian and collectible cookbooks, but don't tell that to Celia Sack, who just opened Omnivore Books on Food in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco.
She probably wouldn't listen anyway.
Ten years ago Sack opened a pet store with her business and life partner, Paula Harris, just as PetCo and Petsmart superstores and websites began to dominate that retail niche. "We bucked a trend a long time ago," said Sack. They succeeded by creating a distinctive neighborhood atmosphere and providing quality, personal service that rivaled that of chains and online retailers. Sack expects to do the same in the new bookshop.
Sack and Harris continue to own and operate the pet store on the corner of Church and Cesar Chavez streets. Several years ago, when the space next door opened up, they jumped at a chance to rent it and used the 600-sq.-ft. space for storage. But Sack (who has a background in antiquarian book auctions) wanted to make her private passion for collecting cookbooks into a retail reality--Omnivore Books on Food opened just over a month.
Collectors tend to be quirky, and Sack is no exception: her personal cookbook collection contains lots of titles on setting up an English bakery. In fact, Omnivore feels a little like an old English bakery: the space was once a butcher shop and the ancient freezer door and working scales remain next to an antique wooden counter that came from a general store in Ohio dating to the late 1800s. (The pet store and the bookstore are now connected in the back through what was once the walk-in refrigerator.) The bookstore walls are painted a soft, light, creamy mustard color that complements Omnivore's country-brown-egg colored logo. Built-in white bookcases line the walls, and books are displayed on antique tables. The display table in the window came from a flower store that closed down the street a couple of years ago, and appropriately, "it's built out of old boards from a bakery that was on Church Street at the turn of the century," Sack added.
Omnivore seems to have the ingredients for bookselling success: a
solid niche, a supportive neighborhood, affordable rent and a landlord
who likes to see independent businesses thrive.
Since Omnivore opened, it has attracted many authors--local and national--for events, usually several a week, sometimes during the day and also in the evening. For example, chef Eric Ripert, author of On the Line: Inside the World of Le Bernadin (Artisan), did an event early this month, and Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen is scheduled to discuss and sign copies of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors (Ten Speed) tomorrow. About 20 people attended a recent event featuring Niloufer King, author of My Bombay Kitchen (University of California Press). There are no cooking facilities on the premises, but authors usually bring samples of food from their books.
Aside from providing recipes, Sack said she thinks cookbooks also connect generations as dishes are handed down over time and across time zones, providing regional and cultural histories through food. That is one reason many non-cooks still like cookbooks.
When it comes to cookbooks, Sack said she has learned through her auction experience and her own collecting that there are cookers or lookers. Some, like Sack, are both cookers and lookers. All kinds are welcome at Omnivore.--Bridget Kinsella