The Writer's Block Bookstore & Café in Anchorage, Alaska, which opened in 2018, is in the midst of some changes that will affect the future of the business. Noting that the store is "not closing right now, but we do have news," co-owners Dawnell Smith, Vered Mares, Kathy McCue and Teeka Ballas posted on Facebook earlier this week: "We've had an eventful few years at the Block, from our opening in January 2018 to a doozy of an earthquake almost a year later to the ongoing pandemic. We've got challenges ahead and a plan for addressing them. Whatever comes next, we can honestly say we feel enormously grateful to all of you.
"Because we've been in this together, we want to share some news. For some time now, one of our partners has wanted to exit the business to pursue her career wherever it takes her. Since the other three of us can't hold a new loan on our own, the only way to make this exit happen is to sell or lease the building, or transition in a new partner. Our hope is that an ownership transition will help one or more of the remaining partners to continue operating the Block at its current site or elsewhere."
Immediate plans call for "kicking off some outdoor events and summertime fun on the deck and patio, and prepping for sunshine and warmth with books, art, comfort food, drinks and events. We'll keep you in the loop as we continue morphing the Block to meet the challenges of our times."