Belmont is getting a two-floor bookstore and cafe in 2017
Belmont Books owners Kathy and Chris.
Almost every day for more than 20 years, Chris Abouzeid found himself talking about and buying books in local bookstores.
But it wasn’t until five years ago that Abouzeid and his wife, Kathy Crowley, ever thought they could own their own.
“When we first moved to Belmont five years ago, we were obviously disappointed when we moved here and there was no bookstore,”Abouzeid said. “And every time we walked downtown, we thought, ‘There really should be a bookstore here,’ and Kathy said, ‘We should just open our own!'”
Now after three years of research and seeking out properties, the couple’s dream of owning their own bookstore is becoming a reality.
Belmont Books, a 4,000-square-foot bookstore and cafe located in the former Macy’s building at 79 Leonard St. in Belmont Center, is expected to open in March of 2017. The store, referred to as a “booklover’s paradise” on its website, will be home to books ranging from best sellers and children’s books, to poetry, self help, and cook books. The cafe will be a subleased space and the couple said they are currently talking to a number of existing cafes in area about the space.
Books and writing have always been a major part of their lives. Abouzeid and Crowley actually met in Cambridge in 1995 at a writers’ group.
Now, Abouzeid is currently a bookseller at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, and is the author of a young adult fantasy novel. Crowley currently works as a physician at Boston Medical Center, but is also penning her second novel, a mystery.
“I’ve developed a real fondness for the atmosphere that bookstores have, and this is the kind of place I already felt comfortable and enjoyed, so we thought it would be great to be in one every day,” Abouzeid said.
And Abouzeid and Crowley hope the community will feel the same way about Belmont Books.
“One of the reasons bookstores have been able to survive, even when there are places like Amazon, is that it is more of a community centered place for people to gather,” Crowley said. “We want to be welcoming to all members of the surrounding communities and be a place for not just author events, but also things like game nights, or story times and talks about issues around the community.”
“There are not many places left where people actually see each other and talk to each other outside of the home or the workplace,” Abouzeid added. “Everyone is always in a hurry to get in and get out of stores, but one of the nice things about a bookstore, especially one with a cafe, is that it invites people to come in and stay a little while.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com