Semicolon Bookstore, Chicago, Ill., has closed its River West shop at 515 N. Halsted St. Owner Danielle Mullen plans to move her shop to East Garfield Park, where she hopes to open by late summer in the Fifth City Commons development under construction at 3155 W. Fifth Ave., Block Club Chicago reported.
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| Danielle Mullen | |
Mullen said she made the decision after a long-delayed effort to buy the Halsted St. building. The Fifth City Commons option was to have been a second location for the store, but now she will make it Semicolon's headquarters.
The space will also include a bar and restaurant, to be run by Mullen and her wife, Kimberly Moore, who also co-own 1308 Restaurant near Goose Island. Block Club Chicago noted that the vibe will be similar to the Busboys and Poets chain in the Washington, D.C., area, and will offer "book and wine flights" along with cocktails and a full food menu.
"We're going to create meals and drinks that go along with the books themselves, and I'm super excited about that," Mullen said. "Beyond that, Garfield Park has a very strong community image, and we are excited to start an internship with Marshall High School where we could bring interns in to not only learn about bookselling, but also learn about restaurants and restaurant management."
In 2021, the store moved from its original location at 515 N. Halsted to a larger space on Division Street in Wicker Park, but while sales were solid, the rent was higher and there was less of a community feel than in River West, Mullen told Block Club Chicago. In 2022, she moved Semicolon back to its original space with plans to buy the building, but the process became drawn out and ultimately stalled. Last summer, she converted her business to a nonprofit model to be eligible for grants and other funding to support Semicolon's literacy efforts.
"Our community service work is still happening. That can't stop," she said. "So we're still doing school visits. We're still giving books away to students while we're closed, so we're making sure that our community work comes first."
During Semicolon's final days in business at its Halsted store last weekend, there was an outpouring of support from longtime customers and neighbors. "That is why I'm so intentional about our community," Mullen said. "We have built this from the ground up, and we have people who just love other people who support us.... I want our customers to know that I am beyond grateful for them and the work that they do is what keeps me working. And so I'm excited for this next part that will come this summer."