McHuston Booksellers

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Cheesy changes.

October 13, 2012 /

You know what they say about change… Keep it! (I’m kidding. I don’t think anyone ever says “Keep the change” except in the movies.) The old saying is something like – there is nothing constant, but change. It’s a froo-froo way of pointing out that we can’t really rely on things being the same as they were last week.

It’s the same with the lunchtime menu.

The items have been changed out a couple of times already, and I’ve mentioned to folks that the cardstock menu is just temporary since I don’t want to pay to etch it in stone (or lamination) until I’m relatively certain that they are the right things at the right price.

A couple of items have been bumped. Not that there was anything wrong with the food, but since I’m still the head chef, line cook, waiter, busboy, and dishwasher – it is important that anything being offered is easy to plate up and serve. (A party of six had me worried, but the majority ordered Irish stew, of which I am a master ladler. (Spellchecker didn’t flag that as a made up word, so perhaps there is a user of ladles called such…)

The grilled chicken is gone. There won’t be a lot of lamenting among you, I know, because it was among the least ordered items on the menu. In its place is a grilled three-cheese: it is nothing fancy, but plenty tasty on the grilled Irish loaf and on the inexpensive end of the price line. The corned beef and Swiss sandwich no longer features slaw atop the sliced meat. I was trying to achieve a Reuben-like sandwich without grilling sauerkraut (which produces a distinct aroma that books love to absorb). I thought the slaw might substitute, but I didn’t care for it after all. The sandwich works as a kraut-less Reuben and is still delicious.

I’ve also fine-tuned some obvious (or should have been obvious) errors, like leaving off the price for a cup ($3.95) or bowl ($5.95) of soup. Oops.

The hours for the food service are still limited. I want to run with it, but I’m still at the crawl/walk stage. The 11:30am to 1:30pm window covers most folk’s lunch hour and gives me plenty of time to get my dishwashing apron a workout afterward.

Bistro update…

September 4, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Here is the latest, for those of you checking this space for information about our planned food service: McHuston Booksellers is still settling into the new location, with most of the boxes of books successfully placed on the shelves. Beginning the food service is like starting an entirely new business.

Since the former location did not offer food, we’ve been working to assemble all the equipment and supplies required for the operation, following the standards required by the Health Department and licensing. That includes everything from commercial refrigerators to toothpicks.

Some of the political rhetoric currently being tossed around contains the phrase – “We built that,” or something to that effect. I’m not going red-state, blue-state here, but the food service aspect of this business is definitely the result of private enterprise.

Currently, the hot-spell is not conducive to attracting a following for our cooler-weather menu plan: soups and stews. By the time the weather breaks, we should be closer to having all the permits and equipment to roll out a complete food and beverage service. The decision has been made to reduce the carryout menu until that time as well, to reduce the expense of unsold items. Until then, we’ll have a soup o’ the day, handmade in our kitchen each morning.

I’ve heard it repeated that “Patience is a Virtue.” I know several of you that are already Virtuous to the point of Sainthood, and we appreciate your understanding.

An update with photo.

March 7, 2012 / / 0 Comments

I’ve run into more people in the past few days than I have in the past four months – asking about the bookstore and its current status. It’s a pleasure being asked, and I only wish that I could run into every first-time, occasional, or regular customer to give a personal update. I know there are some folks who likely believe the store folded up the tent. Not true!

We’ve moved into March and are about a week out from St. Paddy’s Day, another calendar date I had hoped would find McHuston Booksellers ready-stocked and open for business. I’m doubtful that date can be met, as the occupancy of the new building has not been green-lighted.

From the photo, taken from the sidewalk and looking in through the front windows, you can see that the building has every appearance of completion, looking in through the front windows. There are a couple of things that are apparent, such as the front awning, which has seen the frame installed, but not the canvas.

The interior is a beautiful thing to see – high-ceilinged, suspended light fixtures, wood centerline columns with counter-height desks. The tile floor has the appearance of wooden planks, but will be so much easier to care for.

As noted in an earlier post, shelves have been acquired from a now-closed Tulsa bookstore that originated at the Novel Idea location of so many years ago. Those, and another set that came from a Barnes & Nobel location, are currently hiding in my sister’s church until the official go-ahead is signaled (with immense thanks to her and her pastor).

Books are still being acquired, although – without immediately shelving on which to house them – the purchases are quite a bit more selective. It will not be too long now before the shelves can be reassembled and the books restored.

To answer the question, though – I can’t say with any assuredness the exact date. The building looks finished to me, but then, I’m no contractor and I don’t know the process. Inspections and such are out of the control of everyone except the inspector. I hope they’ll be wrapped up in the next week or so and permission to move in will be granted.

In the meantime, behind the scenes work continues!

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