Bookstore will consolidate three businesses into one
Morgan Hill – When a moving sign went up several weeks ago outside BookSmart, some customers immediately became nervous.
They contacted owners Brad Jones and Cinda Meister worried that their local bookstore was relocating out of Morgan Hill.
Jones and Meister confirmed the move, but quickly alleviated their fears by letting them know that they were just moving down the street, one block away, and into the space which has been used by the Bargain Hunters’ Outlet.
The bookstore, located at the corner of Second Street and Monterey Road, has been a downtown centerpiece for more than 10 years.
When BookSmart moves, it will house two other businesses previously owned by the Jones and Meister. The Love Bug, a card and gift shop, and recently closed-down Thinker Toys. They will be brought under the same roof as the bookstore.
The owners are moving because they need a little more elbow room to consolidate the three businesses.
“For three years, we’ve been looking for room to consolidate and put everything under one roof,” Jones said, adding that he and his wife are making the move during a time when they have had to close the other smaller businesses as sales have dropped 45 percent in the past year.
The bookstore will move into the building now occupied by Bargain Hunters’ Outlet on Second Street and Bargain Hunters’ Outlet will move into space leased by Badillo and Sons construction company on Third Street next Jesus Restaurant.
Jones and Meister said they have received an outpouring of community support offering to assist with the move and a variety of help from painters, architects and people who just want to help with manual labor.
“We sent an e-mail to 300 people and got a lot of responses from them wanting to know how to help,” Jones said.
“I was nervous at first,” said Monica Henderson as she watched 9-month-old Scarlett Kerris walk with her to BookSmart in search of children’s books. “I thought they may leave for good.”
Janet Conery, a San Martin resident and bookstore patron, said she will miss the bookstore being in its original location.
“They are an icon of the downtown area,” Conery said. “But they have to do what they can to make it with a book store. I would have liked for them to stay.”
Jones and Meister, a husband and wife team who moved to Morgan Hill in 1991, started the bookstore after a previous bookstore owner had failed at the location in early 1995.
When they first inquired about leasing the space, the landlord was reluctant to rent to them. But after a friend, Gloria Pariseau, spoke to the property owner, he agreed to lease to them.
Before the relatively new business owners opened the store, it was called Town Books and was owned by Fred Schindler.
“We basically started on a wing and a prayer,” Jones said.
The costs of the move are still up in the air, he said, adding that they will depend on how much work is required to bring the building up to city and state building codes.
According to a letter published in the Morgan Hill Times, the estimated costs of moving could be as much as $250,000 – and estimated $100,000 to acquire the space and $150,000 to renovate it.
Jones said the move shouldn’t affect sales too much, citing that he doesn’t rely on foot traffic for his business.
While the three businesses will become one, the bookstore’s food sales may end. Along with books, BookSmart also sells candy, ice cream and sodas, among other items.
Meister said since the building they’re moving into is so old, they have no idea if the plumbing is adequate to handle food sales. She said they will look into possibly bringing it back, but could not say for certain.
Initially Jones said he and his wife were considering moving out of the city, even moving out of state.
Jones said he couldn’t find an open space in town right away since downtown business owners did not want to give up their spaces.
“We started looking outside the area,” he said. “We looked as far south as Paso Robles and as far north as Klamath Falls, Ore.”
But the space on Second Street opened up, and they took advantage of it.
Meister and Jones said they plan to make the move by September, when their lease ends, but said that depends on factors such as the time it takes to get the building ready.
“This is going to be a really fast summer,” Jones joked.
Cheeto Barrera is an intern at the Morgan Hill Times. He can be reached at 779-4106 or e-mail cb******@mo*************.com.
