For too long, Gilroy’s lacked a major piece of its downtown
puzzle
– a corner bookstore.
For too long, Gilroy’s lacked a major piece of its downtown puzzle – a corner bookstore.
Come January, Garlic City Books will open at the corner of Monterey and Martin streets in the heart of downtown. After 15 years of running a successful bookstore in Morgan Hill, BookSmart owners Brad Jones and Cinda Meister decided to expand south, with a little coaxing from local developer Gary Walton.
“Every downtown should have an independent bookstore,” Walton said.
The couple plans to move later this year into the restored, 2,500-square-foot space owned by Walton.
“We’re looking forward to seeing a Renaissance downtown,” Jones said. “And we hope to be a part of it.”
Sandwiched between a dance studio, O.D.’s Kitchen and Garlic City Billiards, the bookstore will draw teens, pedestrians looking for a cozy spot to duck into and parents killing an hour or so while their children finish up dance lessons, cooking classes or tutoring, Walton said.
Apprehensive about spreading themselves too thin and moving into a new neighborhood, Jones and Meister said it took some persuading from Walton before making their decision.
“I wasn’t sure it was the right place for a family bookstore,” Jones said. “But people keep telling me they can’t wait for it to open.”
With plenty of real estate and a history as a regional hub, Gilroy has the potential to have a bustling downtown, Jones said.
“In Morgan Hill, there’s definitely an attitude where people want to support anything going on downtown,” he said. “In Gilroy, there doesn’t seem to be that attitude. We want to change that. Absolutely.”
Jones and Meister met nearly 25 years ago and have run several restaurants and stores since then. When Jones saw the owner of the Morgan Hill bookstore closing up shop for good 15 years ago, he convinced his wife to partner up on reopening the store. The two greeted customers Monday morning, hopping up to make lattes for patrons as they lined up at the coffee bar. Like their Morgan Hill location, Garlic City Books will feature a coffee and ice cream bar serving Treat Ice Cream, a local favorite.
Unlike big-box Barnes & Noble, Garlic City Books will stock its shelves with about 75 percent recycled books, Jones said. He and Meister hope to receive community donations and are devising a trade-in system that will give donors store credit. Like BookSmart, Garlic City will also sell toys and take special book orders, Meister said.
Though they haven’t set a specific opening date – construction is still under way – the couple hopes to be ready for business by January. Monday morning, the high-pitched whine of a drill could be heard from the street, prompting Maria and Mike Bertolone to peek inside. The molded ceiling covered with shiny tin mimics the store’s original decoration when it was one of the first banks in Gilroy, Walton said.
“It’s a beautiful building,” said Maria Bertolone, who owns a historical building across the street. “The downtown needs a bookstore. My daughter will be here every day.”
