Mask up! The Bookery reopens with outdoor seating – and some restrictions

MANCHESTER, NH – Not far from City Hall on Elm Street, four new wooden tables are set up outside The Bookery, ready for outside dining and relaxing. The downtown bookstore/cafe has been doing takeout-only business since March, but as of July 14 they are back in business – with some restrictions and modifications, allowing customers inside for the first time in months. Previously, a kiosk had been set up at the front of the store, along with a machine people could use to order food.

Now the doors are wide open to welcome customers in – with one caveat. Anyone who wants to come inside the store has to wear a mask and sanitize their hands with liquid freely available at the entrance.

Smiling employees, all of whom wore masks, were waiting inside with friendly greetings. All of the comfortable couches, chairs, and working tables were gone. No inside seating was available in the store – all seating is currently outside.

Benjamin Pasley, the Bookery’s General Manager, mentioned plans to add additional outside seating once the parking spaces along Elm Street become available for business use, something recently approved by the Board of Aldermen.

The Bookery itself is a relatively new business, having launched in 2017. Since then, a variety of public speakers, musical bands, and authors have come through. Prior to the pandemic, the Bookery hosted events on an almost daily basis.

Although in-store events are on pause, there is free Internet available for those with laptops or cellphones. Social distancing guidelines are recommended by round stickers on the floor informing customers that six-feet apart for each person is recommended. Employees work behind panes of glass. Anyone who wants a book that isn’t in the store can ask for it to be put on order in person, or through the company’s website, www.bookerymht.com.

“There is no seating inside to limit people staying in here for too long,” Pasley said. “We still have our Grab-and-Go, and our online ordering. We’ve been cleaning every two hours, so we’ve upped our sanitation a little bit more.”

On Tuesday the Bookery announced via Facebook a new partnership with Angela’s Pasta & Cheese. New owner Steve Freeman will be providing “quick bites and sweet treats” available in the cafe.

The inside of the store certainly reflects this, with its spotless appearance. If not for some of the books which have already been there for some time, including a section on Black history, the store might well have opened for the first time on the 14th.

“All customers and all employees have to wear masks,” Pasley continued. “If you’re under 2 years old, you don’t have to wear a mask.”

Enforcing the mask requirement is all about safety, says Pasley. If anyone came in without a mask, Pasley said that he would, “Politely ask them to leave. My biggest concern is the safety of all my employees and customers.”

The Bookery is located at 844 Elm St. in Manchester, NH. Updated store hours are Tues. – Sun, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Follow along via Facebook.