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| Store manager Christine Keelean; general manager Jerry Blume; Michael Tucker, co-owner of Books Inc.; IT factotum Bernie Ciarlo. | |
Just in time for the 5:30 a.m. flight to Chicago, Books Inc. was able to open its new 2,500-square-foot Compass store in the renovated Terminal 3 at San Francisco Airport yesterday.
Originally opened in 1995, the Compass store had to be closed during the renovation and the company was able to sell only in a temporary 350-square-foot location. (It also has a store in Terminal 2.) Books Inc. co-owner Michael Tucker said that it's "wonderful to have a full general interest store again" and that reconstruction was "a bit of an ordeal," in part because all people and material had to go through security and staff had to wear hard hats and construction vests, which caused "permanent hat-head." The new Compass store is directly in front of the security entrance where more than nine million people a year board United flights. "It was very gratifying to have the airport workers, airline personnel and frequent airline travelers all telling staff how excited they were to get their bookstore back," added Tucker, who as of last night was going home to get some much-needed sleep.