Dudley's Bookshop Café will open a second location this spring in the Old Mill District, "bringing the district its first and only independent bookstore while also adding a new retail category to one of Central Oregon's premier shopping and recreation destinations," the bookstore noted (via KTVZ). The 900-square-foot shop will be near the Deschutes River, with its back door facing the river trail.
"The Old Mill District has always been one of the few places in town that makes sense for a small business like ours," said owner Tom Beans. "We rely on people walking by, stopping in, and discovering us. That happens naturally down there."
Dudley's and the Old Mill District have been in conversation for more than two years about this opportunity. Beau Eastes, marketing director at the Old Mill District, said both sides recognized a strong alignment between the district's walkable layout and the foot-driven-traffic Dudley's receives at its Downtown Bend location.
"We've long felt that a bookstore would be a great fit here," he added. "It's a category we don't currently have, and Dudley's will add a different flavor to the district. We're excited to welcome a locally owned business that people naturally want to wander into while they're shopping, walking the river, or spending the day down here."
The expansion has been years in the making for Beans, He purchased the downtown Bend bookstore in 2015, and sees the store's growth as part of a broader cultural shift away from tech: "People are tired of screens. There's a real push-back happening. Analog is back. You see it with books, with vinyl, with people wanting to slow down a little. Supporting local businesses matters to people in this town, and that energy has been huge for independent bookstores."
While still in the planning phase, Dudley's co-owner and manager Amy Rose said she anticipates the satellite store will carry mostly newer books, with a curated selection designed for the smaller footprint. This will allow for more face-outs, rotating feature titles, staff recommendations, and a strong emphasis on Pacific Northwest topics and authors, she added. Dudley's in the Old Mill District will focus almost exclusively on books initially and not feature an espresso bar like its downtown location.
The space itself will reflect the Old Mill District's industrial roots. Beans and Rose plan to reuse reclaimed materials in the buildout, including old brick and scrap metal, as a nod to the site's history. "There's a certain feeling when you walk into a bookstore," Rose said. "That sense of nostalgia, comfort, and curiosity. Our goal is for people to feel that the moment they step inside, whether they planned to stop in or not."