Nothing groundbreaking here:
Fehsenfeld envisions adding beer and wine to his cafe's extensive coffee menu, so bookstore patrons could have a glass with dinner, browse the books, relax by the fireplace and maybe listen to a live concert. As downtown condominiums have developed, so has downtown retail traffic, he said. Although the depressed real estate market has slowed new downtown starts for now, Fehsenfeld is positioning Schuler's downtown location to move forward with it in the future.
Yes, businesses need to do what they can to stay competetive in this economy, and if that means hiring people who will put up with drunk "literary" assholes so be it. This is culture packed tighter and tighter, turning a book store into a bar and a coffee shop and a music venue. There's nothing wrong with hybrid establishments, but ever since Starbucks starting selling Miles and Coltrane records we've come to expect a coffee shop or a book store to be everything we wish we could project ourselves to be.
Diversify yourselves. The rest will follow.
