Joseph-Beth has completed the first round of renovations at its original store, in Lexington, Ky. To celebrate, it held a grand re-opening last Thursday and offered a weekend of activities that included special events, demonstrations and tastings.
The changes include creating more community gathering opportunities by adding chairs and spaces to socialize, work or rest; allowing customers to order from the Bronte Bistro anywhere in the store; an "updated fireplace for a warm and cozy place to read and relax"; expanded local, kitchen and fashion sections; a new books lounge, with 75% of the titles facing out to make it easier to browse; museum display cases (from NYC's Metropolitan Museum) to showcase accessories and gift collections, surrounded by key book themes connecting books and gifts.
Joseph-Beth is also offering "more opportunities to bring people together--from seeing authors speak, story time, book clubs or attending a class--as well as offering meeting spaces "for events, birthday parties or book clubs.
Adam Miller, president and CEO of Joseph-Beth, commented: "We want Joseph-Beth to be more of an experience than a store, where people can connect and belong. We aren't trying to reinvent bookstores. We want to redefine how you experience the bookstore." He also called Lexington "our home and we love being here."
The first store remodel in more than a decade, this is the first phase of a multi-phase project that will be done over four years.