Semicolon Books in Chicago, Ill., has launched a crowdfunding campaign to add a cafe to the nonprofit bookstore, the Tribe reported.
Owner Danielle Moore is looking to raise $25,000 by Sunday, March 16. So far, the Kickstarter campaign has already brought in more than $15,000. Money raised will go toward renovation and design work, buying coffee equipment, permits and licensing fees, hiring and training a cafe team, sourcing coffee beans, and other expenses. Backer rewards include bookmarks, mini-bags of coffee, placards featuring supporters' names, and more.
Earlier this year, Moore announced that she would be closing both Semicolon locations, with the Magnificent Mile store closing last month. The cafe, which will be called Junction Cafe, will open in the West Town location at 1355 W. Chicago Ave., and Moore hopes that it will allow the store to remain open.
Moore told Tribe that the cafe will be employee-owned and that the idea for it came from one of her team members. And after posting about the idea on social media, Kickstarter actually reached out to her.
Moore explained that while she was hesitant to go the crowdfunding route, she eventually was persuaded by her team and representatives from Kickstarter. Should the Kickstarter fail to reach its goal, she plans to continue with closing the bookstore.
"If it works, that's great," Moore said. "We can stay. We can create this coffee shop venture that is going to be employee-owned, so it's going to give the team--who deserves ownership--ownership."
She added that she's been heartened by the support the store has received, particularly by other independent booksellers in Chicago. "It was the outpouring from the Chicago booksellers. The Chicago booksellers are special. The indie booksellers in Chicago are special, and they're different. So it was just seeing the outpouring of love from them."