In just a few days, Phoenixville will be home to a brand new business, a bookstore! Reads & Company company comes to us from Robb Cadigan and Jason Hafer, and we are all super excited to walk through these doors to the literary treasures beyond.
 |
| Merch! |
I was thrilled to have a quick Q&A with Robb and Jason in the middle of the craziness while they prepare for their opening on May 10 at 10am.
Q: What is your biggest challenge right now?
A: Right now we have
hundreds of boxes containing thousands and thousands of beautiful books that
we’re excited to begin shelving. Organizing the carefully curated collection
that is at the heart of Reads & Company is our primary focus for opening
day.
Q: How are you different from other bookstores?
Reads & Company is
a community-minded bookstore. We mean it. On the shelves, of course we’ll
have our staff picks and recommendations, but we will also feature picks from
members of our community – people like the Mayor, the Chairman of the
Board of the Historical Society, teachers and students from local schools,
and our customers.
 |
| Jason and Robb's first shipment has arrived! |
Also, along with
well-known favorite authors, we will seek out and feature emerging authors
whose work we find to be exceptional. Store sales, author events, and
mini-residencies will help establish a base for emerging authors in
Phoenixville.
Beyond our
bookshelves, Reads & Company will feature a great selection of unusual and
hard-to-find "non-book” items that will appeal to our fellow book
lovers.
Q: Why should we visit Reads and Co?
A: We want you to walk
into Reads & Company and feel like you’re walking into a bookstore that
might have been around for fifty years.
With portions of exposed brick,
historic lighting elements, an ornate ceiling, and skylights, the physical
space itself will create a warm and inviting ambiance. The design elements
we’ve added, like new ceiling fans, new flooring, and additional lighting, will
echo the charm of the location's history.
Q: What are you both most excited about?
A: Jason says he is most excited about being able to provide a community with something of true
and lasting value. Books are gifts from authors to their readers, and to help
the two find each other is also a gift.
A: Robb says, as a working writer
who is devoted to the craft, I know what it means to spend years alone in your
room pouring your heart and soul into a story. As a bookseller, I will be
an ardent advocate and bridge between the authors I know and read and
the readers who will love them.
 |
| Historical building touches add character. |
Q: What can a Phoenixville resident- or anyone with a love of books and bookstores- expect when visiting Reads & Company?
A: Like every aspect of
Reads & Company, our unique approach to shelving and layout is meant to
enhance the book browsing experience.
For instance, nonfiction will be shelved
by type. “Hard” nonfiction like history, biography and science will be in the
same area.
Religion, new age, philosophy and other books that help us find
personal truths will be together. We’ll have this great section of cooking,
poetry, gardening, plays, music and more – the things that enrich our lives –
in a bright transitional space in the store.
Another Reads & Company distinction is that our Young Adult (YA) section is
not a part of our kids’ section. It is important to us that when somebody
browsing the YA section turns around, they’ll be looking at the end of our fiction
section, not picture books, which we believe is more appropriate and respectful
to YA readers.
Q: How did you and Jason find each other…and then decide, yeah it’s time for a
bookstore?
A: We met many years ago when Robb walked
into Jason’s former bookstore with a first edition of John Irving’s THE
WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP under his arm. (He was going to meet John Irving the
next day at an event and he wanted some advice about the book.)
Robb became a
regular customer at Wolfgang and we soon discovered we had a shared love of
crime fiction, strong writing, book clubs, and the town of Phoenixville.
From time to time, we talked — daydreamed,
really — about maybe one day opening a bookstore together. Over the years, we
watched carefully as Phoenixville went through its renaissance and more and
more businesses started to flourish. Then our daydreams got more serious when
234 Bridge Street, a perfect location directly across from The Colonial
Theatre, became available.
JASON HAFER is the former
owner of the beloved Wolfgang Books in Phoenixville. With a long career in
bookselling, Jason brings extensive bookstore expertise, a heart for
customer service, and a genuine desire to help readers find just the right
book. Wolfgang customers know that Jason has a knack for recommending your next
great read.
 |
| OPEN MAY 10! |
ROBB CADIGAN is the
author of the popular novel, PHOENIXVILLE RISING, and a former
Television/Marketing executive at QVC. Robb is a devoted student of the writing
craft, an unabashed fanboy of great stories, and a Forrest Gump of the literary
world, with connections and friendships with an impressive group of bestselling
and emerging authors around the world.
Q: Anything else us Phoenixville residents should know?
A: When people see Reads
& Company’s selection, they will find diverse representation throughout our
shelves.
If somebody in our community wants to find a book that will interest
them, we want to be a viable option regardless of age, race, gender or sexual
orientation.
Many in our community are native Spanish speakers, so we will have
a Spanish-language section.
Reads & Company is located at 234 Bridge Street in Phoenixville, across from The Colonial Theatre.
All photos courtesy of Robb and Jason, Reads & Company, used with permission from Robb Cadigan.
Thank you to Robb, Jason, and Nicolette Milholin.
