The Riverbend Bookstore, 521 N. Truman Blvd., in Crystal City is set to open Friday, March 15, several months later than originally expected, said owners Caroline and Stephen Meyers of De Soto.
“We will open one way or another,” Caroline said.
The opening was delayed because renovations took longer than anticipated, the two said.
They started work on their shop after purchasing about 50,000 items from John and Kendall Gilbert, owners of the former Books Galore in Festus, which closed in December 2022.
Caroline, 47, and Stephen, 46, originally targeted their opening for summer 2023 but found the building they purchased needed more work than they first thought.
“I think the delay was due to the condition of the building, mostly,” Stephen said. “It was almost like starting from scratch in some instances.”
As of early March, the work continued, but sections of the 9,800-square-foot building were ready for customers, he said.
The Meyerses have added to the items they bought from Books Galore and now have an inventory of about 70,000 items, Stephen said.
“We’ve worked with Dunaway Books on Grand Avenue in south St. Louis. They’re kind of overstocked. They’re sending people to donate books to us,” he said.
The store will sell mostly used books, DVDs, albums and games, although it also carries some new books.
Caroline said the couple plans to add a coffee shop in the building, but that won’t happen for several months.
“We’ll open the coffee shop probably this summer,” she said. “The food will be pre-packaged. We’ll have coffee and specialty drinks.”
The two hope their shop becomes a community gathering place.
“The main thing I want to get out is we want to be a cultural hangout for all the community,” Stephen said. “We’ll have author book signings and book readings. We’ll have book clubs.”
Caroline continues to work as a music teacher in the Potosi School District, whereas Stephen retired in 2023 after 23 years as a music teacher for the Kingston School District and then the Potosi district.
Opening day can’t come soon enough, the two said.
“We are just super excited. It’s a long time coming,” Stephen said.
The Riverbend Bookstore hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. It will be closed Sundays and Mondays.
For more information, call 636-543-3035, visit riverbendbookstore.com or go to the Riverbend Bookstore page on Facebook.