The New Sleekness on reinventing the bookstore. First, buy out a major chain (B&N is on the block). Then, get rid of all the mass market paperbacks and leave just the hardcovers on the shelves, hire staff who know about books, and sell print-on-demand and e-versions of all the hardback books in the store. That leaves lots of extra room left over for:
1) Expand the café to include actual meals from a relatively gourmet kitchen with table service (featuring produce from a rooftop or back-of-house organic garden, where possible).
2) Create a lounge area for leisurely reading
3) Create a cloistered co-working space for freelancers
4) Expand the children’s area (with short-term day care)
5) Hire a badass events coordinator for each store to bring in local artists, musicians and theatre troupes for performances, as well as authors, for nighttime events
6) Apply for a liquor license for those nighttime events
Seems like a reasonable start, but I imagine the success of 1-6 depends highly on the location of the original bookstore.
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