One of the most imaginative bookstore events we've heard of took place
last month at the Frugal Frigate, Redlands, Calif., a three-hour Sunday
afternoon party that we wrote about while it was being planned (Shelf Awareness, August 23); now it's time for a followup.
Brad Hundman, who bought the children's bookstore last year with his wife, Jana, said he sent invitations to 150 adults, including customers, town government officials and various "circles of people"--essentially opinion makers in the community. Some 130, who paid nothing for the event, attended. On the Sunday of the party, they were directed to the store, where they saw the Frugal Frigate's "new paint job, new graphics, new lighting and new awning" as well as the increased inventory, Hundman said.
From there, the attendees walked half a block to the Farm, an artisanal restaurant, where the menu for the event included four types of wine, champagne, coffees from around the world, pasta, wheels of cheese, fresh bread and more. (Because the restaurant owner is a chocolatier the desserts were reportedly to die for.) Music by Tony Bennett and Mel Torme was played. For three hours, guests mingled with the stars of the show, three children's book authors--Nikki Grimes, Diane Adams and Maria Frazee--whose books were sold discreetly in a corner.
By a straight-forward method of reckoning, the event just about paid for itself. Between the invitations, postage, food and the staff's time, costs were almost $2,000. With 300 books sold, Hundman figured he was set back all of $17.
But from the beginning, Hundman had broader aims than selling a certain number of books. In August, he said, "You invest in clientele and have to have faith and trust that it will be returned to you. If you do it well and in the right form, it will come back." After the event, he said: "It was a thank you to the authors and our clientele and to remind them that we are here." And in this way, it was even more successful than he imagined. The authors were "very grateful," he said, and the community responded exceedingly well. It also was "a big plus" for the staff, particularly in showing how much support the store has. (Laughing, he said, "For $17, I'll do them all day long.")
The next such event will be held in February and will be much like the September party. Some people who hadn't been invited but wanted to come to the initial party will be invited. "It's not meant to be an exclusive event," Hundman said, adding that such parties are part of his effort to make provide customers with consistency. "We want people to know we'll be here and have wonderful stock and have books in before anyone else and have events with high quality."
In a sign that he will indeed remain in place for customers, Hundman noted that he just signed a five-year lease with two five-year options.
Brad Hundman, who bought the children's bookstore last year with his wife, Jana, said he sent invitations to 150 adults, including customers, town government officials and various "circles of people"--essentially opinion makers in the community. Some 130, who paid nothing for the event, attended. On the Sunday of the party, they were directed to the store, where they saw the Frugal Frigate's "new paint job, new graphics, new lighting and new awning" as well as the increased inventory, Hundman said.
From there, the attendees walked half a block to the Farm, an artisanal restaurant, where the menu for the event included four types of wine, champagne, coffees from around the world, pasta, wheels of cheese, fresh bread and more. (Because the restaurant owner is a chocolatier the desserts were reportedly to die for.) Music by Tony Bennett and Mel Torme was played. For three hours, guests mingled with the stars of the show, three children's book authors--Nikki Grimes, Diane Adams and Maria Frazee--whose books were sold discreetly in a corner.
By a straight-forward method of reckoning, the event just about paid for itself. Between the invitations, postage, food and the staff's time, costs were almost $2,000. With 300 books sold, Hundman figured he was set back all of $17.
But from the beginning, Hundman had broader aims than selling a certain number of books. In August, he said, "You invest in clientele and have to have faith and trust that it will be returned to you. If you do it well and in the right form, it will come back." After the event, he said: "It was a thank you to the authors and our clientele and to remind them that we are here." And in this way, it was even more successful than he imagined. The authors were "very grateful," he said, and the community responded exceedingly well. It also was "a big plus" for the staff, particularly in showing how much support the store has. (Laughing, he said, "For $17, I'll do them all day long.")
The next such event will be held in February and will be much like the September party. Some people who hadn't been invited but wanted to come to the initial party will be invited. "It's not meant to be an exclusive event," Hundman said, adding that such parties are part of his effort to make provide customers with consistency. "We want people to know we'll be here and have wonderful stock and have books in before anyone else and have events with high quality."
In a sign that he will indeed remain in place for customers, Hundman noted that he just signed a five-year lease with two five-year options.