(Image: Nook & Cranny Books)
Capitol Hill’s Nook & Cranny Books has lost its lease and is raising funds to help it find a new home.
“Nook & Cranny needs your help getting over this hurdle,” owner Maren Comendant writes. “We are pursuing small business loans for the long-term, but your support will help cover the upfront costs of a significant move: deposit and increased rent, additional shelving and furniture, and rebuilding inventory.”
Comendant says Nook & Cranny learned in November its landlord won’t be renewing its 15th Ave E lease. There is no word about what is planned next for the small retail shop space.
Comendant created Nook & Cranny in the summer of 2022. What if you read about a Capitol Hill bookstore for sale — and bought it? Comendant can tell you. She purchased the business after reading about the Oh Hello Again going up for sale on CHS.
Comendant, who was still working as a catering chef as she jumped into the world of literary retail, said her original dream was a cafe where she hoped to mix her love of the written word with food and drink. But, after seeing the article on CHS about the book shop up for sale and jumping in, she jumped in.
Now Comendant is working on plan for what comes next. The massive challenge is balanced somewhat by the opportunity.
“Our current home is only 320 square feet and just look at what we’ve been able to accomplish in that limited space. More room means we can offer seating to visitors who want to hang out and chat during the day! More room means we can host bigger and better events, more display space for our artists, even pop-ups with other local businesses and artisans! More room means storage,” she writes. “And best of all, more room means more amazing books!”
The hope is to raise enough from supporters to help the shop through the coming months as the search for the new home continues.
You can read more about the campaign and give here.
In the meantime, Nook & Cranny books is located at 324 15th Ave E. Learn more at nookandcrannybooks.com.
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One of the spaces in the Kaiser building would be a great fit, if Kaiser had not decided that it’s fine with those spaces remaining vacant.
+1 on this!!!! Why are these spaces vacant??? There are so many great spots inside that building. Would hate to see this great bookstore leave ):
surprised not to see any tenuous, straw-grasping attempt to blame the expiration of the tip credit.
Which bookstores are paying their employees a combination of wages and tips?
lol
None! But you could be forgiven for thinking that’s the only reason places close, based on all the idle speculation lately.
Pretty plainly says the landlord wouldn’t continue the lease, which may mean the building is going on the market. If combined with the building(s) to the north…
Right! It seems like there’s an obvious explanation right there in the post. And yet! That didn’t stop the speculation in several other cases, so I’m really, really surprised to not see it here.
You’d think Seattle could at least have a law requiring a landlord to give a reason for not renewing a lease. It’s valuable information in a market with no protections for tenants, where everyone’s explanation for a store closing ends up just being “the hill is dying”.
I mean you can assume they want a tenant that brings more traffic, sure. But not all businesses are equal! It just sucks for the tenant to have to pick up their whole store and move on a whim for no stated reason in some cases.
Joy, what do you have to say about commercial tenant protections?
I hope Nook & Cranny survives and thrives somewhere nearby in a larger space. I’ve enjoyed my visits there, including chats with the friendly owner, who always has helpful recommendations. The shelves are organized along themes, unlike any other bookstore I’ve seen, and it’s awesome what good stuff you can find that you would never have come across otherwise. We should all support them!