Used bookstore finds a new space before Sound Transit takes possession
At least one independent business is primed to survive Broadway's transition to light rail. Used bookstore Twice Sold Tales, a fixture on East John Street, has found a new home. Last week, Jamie Lutton, who has operated Twice Sold Tales on Capitol Hill for 19 years, signed a 10-year lease on what will become her store's new location at the southwest corner of Harvard Avenue East and East Denny Way.
While the transition to the new store is a daunting task, Lutton expressed more than a little relief at having signed on the dotted line. Lutton has been a bookseller for 24 years, and has sold used books on the Hill since 1987. Her first venture was run out of a pushcart in the Broadway Market (now primarily a QFC). In 1990, she was able to move into her East John Street location. Her business has expanded to include a Twice Sold Tales on lower Queen Anne and co-ownership of the Twice Sold Tales in the University District.
In January, after years of waiting for the final word as to when she'd have to vacate, Sound Transit gave Lutton notice that she would have to leave her store by April 2008. For most of 2007, she's been frantically searching for suitable space where she could relocate. Given the hefty rental costs for commercial space on Broadway, as well as the small profit margins under which a used bookstore operates, Lutton was far from confident she'd be able to find a new location on the Hill.
On several occasions she came close. In some cases, the landlord had used her offer to generate more and presumably higher ones. Other landlords just weren't interested in having a used bookstore as a tenant, even one with a lengthy history on Capitol Hill. More recently, Lutton pursued the former location of the Rainbow Grocery on 15th Avenue East. As many know by now, that space has been rented to the Red Balloon Company.
She learned about her future location in July when she walked by and noticed the For Rent signs in the window. The ground floor of an apartment building had been the previous home of a dental office but had been vacant for two-and-a-half years.
At 2,800 square feet, the space is similar in size to her current location, though its layout, Lutton said, will probably allow for more bookshelves and thus more books (the store now carries roughly 40,000 books at any given moment). An extensive remodel will be required - Lutton said she'll need to spend close to six figures to turn the space into a bookstore, with a large portion of that cost going towards a wheelchair lift. Being slightly more than a block off Broadway, her upcoming rent will be considerably less than she's currently paying.
The conversion will take some time. Lutton hopes to be open in February of next year. For several months, she expects to keep the current location open as well. She said her biggest challenge will be replacing the lost walk-in traffic that is a large part of her business. Twice Sold Tales is in front of a prominent bus stop, which won't be the case with the new store.
The upcoming Twice Sold Tales will by necessity feel different inside. The ceilings are lower, and there's not a great deal of window space for the many rotating posters the store now displays. Lutton expects to put in a lot of neon in the windows to attract attention.
"Signage to be startling and tasteful will do the trick. I'll need a way to become a landmark," she said. "There are challenges, but I'm incredibly fortunate to find this place. One woman offered to wear a cat suit and hand out fliers on Broadway. If she's still game, I think I can pay for that."
Also, given the residential nature of the street (and the apartments above), the store won't be open as late. Lutton thinks 10:30 p.m. will probably be the closing time, which means that those accustomed to the store's current late hours, and the 2 a.m. closure on Friday nights, may be disappointed.
But there are many positives about the location. She's closer to Seattle Central Community College, and also closer to Half Price Books, one of her major competitors; such proximity, Lutton said, is actually a good thing. There will be more nooks and crannies, which add appeal, and the space will accommodate an espresso stand should she choose to go that route. She thinks 75 percent of her current customers will follow her automatically. As for the rest, she said she'll have to be creative in coming up with ways to attract new clientele. But with a lower overhead, Lutton said that she can probably survive even if business doesn't quite approach current levels.
"If I can survive for the next 10 years, I'll be right by the station," she said, referring to Broadway's upcoming light-rail station.
And, just to make it clear, the cats will make the trek to the new store.
"The kitties are coming with," she said. "It wouldn't be the same place without them."
Lutton said that she had considered closing the store and focusing on her other ventures or even going on-line. But the Hill is home - she lives six blocks from Twice Sold Tales - and the business is near to her heart.
"I'm just strange enough that I don't really belong anywhere other than Capitol Hill," she said.
Doug Schwartz is the editor of the Capitol Hill Times. He can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com or 461-1308.
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