McHuston Booksellers

Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Category: Blog (Page 149 of 153)

Waking up the coffee maker.

April 30, 2012 / / 0 Comments

A complete month! The first in the new location, and WOW! how time speeds along. Here it is, a rainy end to April, and the occasion is being marked by the official fire-up of the coffee-maker.

We’ve had some test runs along the way, but no way to accommodate those of you who might want cream or sweetener. Those are laid in and ready. The coffee is hot. The open sign is on.

Monday is here.

The brand of choice is still undecided. This morning the scent in the air is coming from the Rainforest Alliance certified select, which – to my taste – has the distinct flavor of coffee. As I’m readily admitting to anyone who might have a passing interest, the morning cup is not my – well, it’s not my cup of tea. Or coffee.

I can pass a blindfolded taste test over sodas, with a taste discerning enough to identify Sprite as compared to Mountain Dew, or Diet Coke from Dr Pepper (or even Pepsi). Hot coffee, hot cocoa, hot chocolate: not for me. Something about the burning sensation on the lips and tongue do me in. I have a cup of this Rainforest Select in front of me, but it is sufficiently cooled that I can drink it. As to its wake-up factor, aroma, robustness, bold-character flavor, and other java-related properties, I just haven’t had enough morning brew to render a qualified opinion.

The package is attractive, anyway.

Earlier I had intended to use Gevalia brand, a European coffee that supposedly is held in high regard. I was led to believe that it was rather exclusive but I saw a huge display of it just yesterday in Reasor’s. I don’t imagine that the coffee at McHuston Booksellers has to be one-of-a-kind, but I was hoping for something that would be a little different than the home cup. Maybe Gevalia is different enough, or even this Rainforest Select.

The taste is starting to grow on me.

The plan is still to offer a second, flavored coffee in the morning and I’m thinking the Rainforest Caramel is probably going to be the blend. Everyone who has tried it has returned a favorable opinion.

As a non-coffee drinker who liked it, that fact alone carries a lot of weight.

The pix this morning are of the kitchen and the coffeemaker. There are a lot of restaurants that don’t want you to see where the food is prepared, for one reason or another. In my days at Paddy’s Irish, I wasn’t ashamed of the kitchen, but it wasn’t a source of pride either. The equipment was older and mismatched. The space was confined and irregularly laid out due to the shape of the building. It passed the health department inspections.

The kitchen at McHuston Booksellers, on the other hand, is one that I am proud to show off, although it still isn’t quite ready. Still waiting for the installation of a freezer and refrigerator before the food service can be implemented. The office is a completely different story, as you can see in the image. I’m still working to get the last of the boxed books out on the shelves, and the office-related items put into some kind of order.

My son Dustin and I finished off one of the two storage units on Sunday, moving extra shelving units and items out of one to combine into a single spot and bringing back a last load to the store. It’s good to have that part taken care of.

The final image is taken from the peeking-through-the-front-window vantage point, which a lot of folks have been doing. I suppose an open sign on the front door is in order, to complement the lighted sign at the other end of the glass windows. It is a little tough to see through the slightly-tinted windows, and thus, the shielding-hand peek approach. It’s okay to open the door and come on in though.

We’ve got your cup o’ coffee ready to go.

And those books go where?

April 26, 2012 / / 0 Comments

So many projects to tackle and complete! I’ve managed a lot of tackling, but not so much completing… Here’s the late April update:

There are still a few more boxes with books to be unpacked and shelved. The majority are in place – although not necessarily the correct one. From the front counter I can spot piles of books stashed in the General Vicinity section, to be moved to the Right Spot later.

About a third of the shelves are sporting tags that indicate what books are in that section. I hope to be forgiven for hand-lettering the signs, but the little printing machine ones have such an industrial appearance. Maybe the lettering will get finished this afternoon.

The images in today’s episode are to illustrate that I’ve actually gotten a couple of framed items on the walls. Three, actually. I’m hoping that they’ll also serve to dampen a little of the sound that continues to bounce around. There was a distinct echo in the building before I moved anything in, and the shelving itself did little to reduce the reverb effect. Adding the books has absorbed most of the reflected sound, but the front of the store can use a little extra baffling.

The Open sign is plugged in and flashing in the front window.

Not that anyone has missed the Grand Opening, or the ReOpening. That elusive date is the subject of most questions. When I was delivering boxes regularly though the day, the front door was locked during excursions to the storage unit. With most of the boxes inside the store, I’ve been spending more time among the shelves and have left the front door unlocked.

I’ve been pleased to see some regular customers (with a great thanks to the ladies at Hairs To Ya beauty salon next to the old location for letting people know where to find the new spot). Some books have been sold and traded. Some browsing has been accomplished. I hope you’ll come in soon to check it out!

As to the official opening, I figure it can’t be too Grand if I don’t even have the store name on the awning yet, or if the interior arranging is not yet finished. I was hoping to have every little thing in its place and then throw open the front door with a shout.

That hasn’t proven to be practical.

So, rather than keep folks out until such a time as I consider the place sufficiently completed, I’m going with the term I’ve heard used and invoking the Soft Opening privilege. That allows me to conduct some business while I’m still working out the details.

When the Tulsa Health Department inspectors came through this week for the final formal inspection of the on-premise kitchen facility, they agreed to the idea. When I have the rest of the supplies in, I’ll be able to fire up the coffee maker, and as soon as I get the commercial-grade refrigerator installed I can roll out the menu and serve up your soup.

For now, it’s back to the labeling and the wall work…

Stacking the stacks.

April 18, 2012 / / 0 Comments

The days are long but the hours fly by. The front door is wide open and a springtime breeze carries with it the sound of Main Street traffic. Along with the cars is the sound of sound of voices, snippets of conversation as passersby make their way along the sidewalk in front of the store.

Although the door is open, it isn’t official yet. There are still a number of boxes to be unpacked and there are stacks of books scattered around the store waiting for a designated location in which to be stashed. There have been a number of folks wandering in through the door as well. Some are surprised to find a bookstore and say so. Others – perhaps visitors to town or newer residents – simply set themselves for browsing as though the store has been here for years.

There have been some sales, too.

Some of the buyers are customers from the old location who have been patiently awaiting the reopening. Others are first-timers that had no idea the store was located a mile and a half down the street for over five years. I have a feeling that the new location is going to be much more visible to the public.

You remember the three most important things regarding property: location, location, location.

Even the atmosphere is different. I realize this is a long stretch, but it’s true: when I prop the door open early in the morning on these wonderful spring days it reminds me of wandering Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The old structures alive with commerce and characters. I’ve been on Main Street going on six years now and had no idea that there was this kind of activity just a mile to the north.

The thing is – I think it is going to get better, too. There is a buzz currently that is likely partially due to the relative newness of the Main Street Tavern, a really classy restaurant that is two doors to the south of McHuston Booksellers. (You have to walk across Commercial Street, but still…). There is a new children’s clothing shop two doors to the north. Dooley’s Angus Inn has revamped their neon sign out front and Fiesta Mambo’s Mexican Restaurant is drawing capacity diners regularly.

Some folks are nervous about the possibility of changes downtown, but change is usually met with uncertainty and challenges. Sometimes, though, changes work out for the best. The BOK Center is an example of a project that met with opposition but has succeeded as proposed by its backers. BA’s downtown can do the same, I believe, since no plan has yet been etched in stone.

Meanwhile…

Still don’t know the date for the official re-opening of McHuston Booksellers, but – as of today, if the door is open and the lights are on – come on in!

The pictures don’t show the stacks of boxes at the back and the jumble of books still present on a number of shelves. You can click on any image for a larger view.

The days are long, and the hours are flying by as I get the out-of-sorts all sorted and filed in their proper place.

McHuston Booksellers is well on its way to getting back on the track in stylish new surroundings!

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