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| Werner Books' current location. | |
Lauren Shoemaker and Kyle Churman, who bought Werner Books, Erie, Pa., last year, plan to move to a new larger location in the Liberty Plaza and add a coffee shop by June. The Times-News reported that the business will move from 3514 Liberty St. to a nearby 5,800-square-foot location that is twice as large and will provide space for more books, storage, a larger children's section, and room for author and book club events. They have engaged an architect and a contractor for the renovation.
Noting that the move should provide much-needed breathing room, Shoemaker said, "The back room is overflowing. We are beyond capacity."
"We're super-excited," Churman said, adding that they have purchased all the coffee-making equipment, furniture, and other items from the recently closed Brick House Coffee. They recently hired a manager for the coffee shop and reached agreements with Cafe 7-10 and Sundae to provide baked goods. Coffee is being provided by Erie's North End Coffee.
"We're excited because there's no coffee shop in this part of town," Churman noted, adding that he has been pleased by the success of the Werner Books thus far. "Business has been unbelievably better than we expected. I can't fathom how well things have gone for us. If someone asks me for business advice. I just tell them to buy a successful existing business and kind of expand it. Gayle [previous owner Gayle Werner] had set us up to succeed."
Churman observed: "I think that the kids' section of the store is going to expand a little bit more. We might carry some more new titles but I don't want to overdo it. We are not going to move away from the used book model that has worked so well for our store and Erie in general."
He still speaks frequently with Werner: "She has been totally supportive of our plans. I told her I hope we are making you proud."