Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews, Chapel Hill, N.C., which opened in November 2019 in a 3,600-square-foot location, is expanding into the space next door and adding 2,200 square feet. Triangle Business Journal reported that co-owners Jaime and Miranda Sanchez "did not anticipate Covid-19 would disrupt their book cafe business five months after opening. They also did not expect the opportunity for expansion would come this soon."
The spaces will be connected, but with different names to distinguish the concepts. Epilogue will continue to be the cafe and new book space, while Prologue will house used, rare and collectible books alongside additional cafe seating, Triangle Business Journal wrote. Prologue will also feature a private room that can be rented for events, classes and office hours for university professors.
"We're making a bet on the community that supported us during the pandemic. We're investing more in them and in us," Jaime Sanchez said, adding that one reason the expansion is feasible is because book sales increased during the pandemic, rising from 20% of revenue to about 40%, due in part to a jump in online sales.
Sanchez is optimistic revenue will continue to grow and exceed pre-Covid totals due to the expansion and formation of additional revenue streams. "Pre-pandemic, we were just chasing the growth," he said. "During the pandemic, we were able to stop and assess what made us great and capitalized our build on that."
Even as the owners' expansion dreams are progressing in Chapel Hill, Sanchez suggested the next potential step could be opening a location in Durham.