In a post on MyHometownBronxville, Mary Marvin, the mayor of Bronxville, N.Y., has issued a call for the community to support Womrath Bookshop, which was founded in 1938 and is owned by Barbara and Morin Bishop, who "need our financial assistance to help them out short term so as to get them on a path for long-term improvements and hence survival."
The Bishops bought Womrath in August 2019 and "immediately began making updates; eliminating most of the unwanted magazines, changing card displays, expanding sections for new books and creating a comfortable seating area where customers can read, chat and enjoy an oasis of calm from a busy day," Marvin wrote. "They also launched a successful e-commerce website enabling customers to buy online and invigorated a dormant Instagram account, growing followers to over 13,000 today."
But, Marvin continued, other plans were put on hold when Covid arrived six months after the Bishops purchased the store. "They have been struggling to recover from that blow ever since, only surviving by taking on substantial debt. Today while sales have significantly improved over the same period in 2022, they are still not adequate to cover current expenses and the Bishops were forced to draw on a credit line with unsustainably high interest rates. In order to find a path to reimagine the store and create a new vision in the heart of Bronxville, the Bishops’ goal is to raise $147,000 in the next six months."
That money would be spent in part to create a cafe; make infrastructure upgrades, including removing the drop ceiling to reveal the tin ceiling and skylight; improve lighting and flooring; add more author events, children's activities, and book groups; and launch customer loyalty and subscription service programs.
Calling the bookstore "one of the true cornerstones of our Village," Mayor Marvin recommended supporters send a check "for any amount" to Womrath or contribute via Venmo.