According to Jacqie Hasan, Old Firehouse Books' store manager, the new location of the store is making them busier than ever, which is mostly due to the foot traffic.
Their former location at 1801 S. College Ave. was not nearly as visible of a location. Hasan said that before, you would almost have to know of the store in order to visit.
The new location is not only great for more business, but also more in-store activities. Hasan said they can now have more space for book clubs to meet, for author events (book signings) and for being a "third space."
"We’d like to become a third space, a gathering place for people that’s not home and not work, but a fun place to be," Hasan said.
Tegan Hollen, an Old Firehouse Books sales associate, said that she is excited to be downtown because not only is the location great, but they have many more oportunities to be a part of the community.
"We're now part of the downtown business association, which gives us a lot of opportunities to cooporate with other businesses and events or advertising," Hollen explained. "It's been really helpful for the store because we didn't really have that before."
Hasan agreed and said that the Be Local movement is something they're proud to be involved with because Fort Collins has such a strong commitment to local businesses.
And their success is not just from their new location, but who is working at the store matters the most.
"We were able to move because of all the support from our customers," Hollen said.
Hasan said her employees love to work there and are proud to be part of the independent bookstore movement and provide some of the ambiance and culture people look for in downtown bookstores.
"The fact that our name is not Barnes and Noble helps, too," Hollen explains. "But really, its customer service when it comes down to it. We try and spend a little more time with the customers that come in."
Listen to a podcast of the interview here.
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