By Chris Bavender
When Lori and Alex Stanley decided to open a Books & Brews franchise in Carmel, City Center had been on their radar from the beginning.
“We feel like we are right in the heart of Carmel, and the space is in a convenient spot for a lot of different crowds of people – professional, arts/music with The Palladium and Arts District nearby, families and the Monon crowd, among others,” Alex said. “We did look at a couple of other locations, but from the time we first saw the inside of this space we knew this was the No. 1 target.”
One thing the couple loves about the space at 61 W. City Center Dr. is the ability to add a second door and a patio area in Wedgwood Way, the breezeway that runs through the building on the east side of the space.
“It will be wonderful to offer outdoor seating to our customers in a breezeway like that, because it gives you the joy of being outside on a nice day, but it can also still be used when it is very hot or raining due to being completely covered,” he said.
The response to the announcement of the location has been “absolutely incredible.”
“In the 48 hours following our announcement on Facebook alone we had well over 200 likes, 48 shares and 23 comments, with almost everything being positive and full of excitement,” Alex said. “The amazing thing about the response is that it came not only from our awesome and loyal Books & Brews customers and fans, but also from a lot of Carmel residents who may not even know what Books & Brews is all about yet, but they are still thrilled we are moving into this location.”
The Carmel store will be similar to the other Books & Brews sites in terms of food, events and decor. But Alex said the couple plans to add their own personalities to it.
“Our location has a lot more windows rather than walls, so that will give our space a great vibe with a lot of natural light flowing in,” he said.
An opening date hasn’t been set. It will depend on the construction timeline and how quickly the space can be readied after that, but Alex wants to open in the next two to three months.
“We do plan on having a soft opening for five to seven days before our grand opening, where we will open up to various groups to get ready for the big day,” he said.
More information on the timeline for Books & Brews Carmel’s opening date can be found on the company’s Facebook page, facebook.com/booksnbrewscarmel/.
