Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 14, 1995 TAG: 9502150010
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But there they were, shortly before 10 on a Friday night, sitting between the stacks in the Books-a-Million megastore, swapping home improvement guides.
For the Reitzes, the evening rendezvous was more than a how-to session on renovating kitchens. It was a time away from their kids, a few uninterrupted moments together, a date.
A date? In a bookstore?
Bet your bestsellers on it. Before long, Books-a-Million - not some dance club, not some trendy bistro, not the bar at the much-anticipated Hotel Roanoke, but a bookstore - may be the valley's most popular night spot.
"We don't usually go to restaurants and nightclubs," Mary Reitz said. "But we like books."
Her husband poked his head over one of the shelving units, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"We have eight children," he said. "This is the only kind of entertainment we can afford."
Since Books-a-Million opened at Crossroads Mall on Dec. 9, Roanokers have mobbed the check-out lines and jammed the aisles. The store is open until 11 p.m. seven days a week, but the hustle-and-bustle reaches its peak during weekend nights.
"On Friday nights, the place gets busy around 8, and it stays that way until closing," floor manager Michael Guilfoyle said.
The superstore's sign, with its easy-to-read lettering and hard-to-miss blue neon, draws the crowds in, and the selection keeps them there.
In addition to books and a slew of magazines, the store sells music, greeting cards, nature products - and cappuccino. A coffee bar and reading areas with large, comfy chairs encourage customers to browse, and they do. The average stay is an hour and a half; some hang around even longer.
"We get people who come in and relax all the time," said Kellee McDowell, the store's special-events coordinator. "They sit right down, take their shoes off and start to read. Sometimes they fall asleep, and they're out cold for hours."
Sam Fortin was finishing up a cup of coffee when his girlfriend emerged from the shelves, two books in hand: Alison Lurie's ``Foreign Affairs'' and ``Geek Love'' by Katherine Dunn.
"It's fun to browse, do a little shopping, then get something to eat and shop again," Fortin said. "It becomes a social activity."
Fortin has visited Books-a-Million at least five times, he said.
"Tonight it was a choice between this or hockey. Wait. Was it hockey tonight? No, I think it was this or bowling."
Roanoke is not the only place to be hit by the bookstore dating craze. Supersize stores similar to Books-a-Million have sprung up in most major cities across the country: Dallas, Tampa, Atlanta, Chicago and of course, Manhattan. It didn't take long before the unattached and the married alike took them over.
Broadway's swank Barnes & Nobles, complete with copper railings, mahogany shelves and leather armchairs, typically attracts singles who have grown weary of the laundromat and health club pick-up scenes. They cruise the aisles looking to cuddle up with more than a good book.
But that's New York, and as several Books-a-Million socialites pointed out, Roanoke is a far cry from the hip and the happening.
Marc Johnson and Louellen Jessee were flipping through books on Nashville in the travel section. They've shopped at Books-a-Million at least 10 times.
"This is not Roanoke," Johnson said. "This is kind of like something you'd find out on the West Coast."
And to Daye Campbell, Books-a-Million means the valley has arrived.
"This makes Roanoke interesting, like we are turning into a big city or something," she said. "We're getting the stuff those big cities have."
Most of the people who came through the superstore's doors this particular Friday already had a date, or more often, a spouse. They weren't after someone; they were looking for something - alternative weekend entertainment, a break from the tried, the tested and the tiresome.
"With the options available in Roanoke, this looks pretty good," McDowell said. "I'd much rather go here on a Friday night and read a book than stand in the middle of a packed Corned Beef & Company."
"That's why we do so well at night," she said. "We attract all crowds, the young, new beat crowd as well as the older crowd that wants to go out without spending $30 at the movies."
Books-a-Million regulars Adrianne Taylor and Wendy Fischer, both students at Lord Botetourt High School, said it didn't take long before news of the superstore's social scene swept through their school's hallways.
"This is everybody's favorite place to come after the mall closes," Fischer said.
"Since there's nothing else around that's open this late, it's a good place to come," Taylor added. "There are always people here."
Books-a-Million managers know they've got a good thing going.
"Not many people leave here without buying something," Guilfoyle said.
And McDowell intends to make sure the crowds keep on coming. In honor of Valentine's Day, she's planned a Singles Night. Also in the works are book discussion groups, Dale Carnegie seminars and an Appalachian Trail weekend for kids. They'll all be free, McDowell said.
On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., author Berkley Franklin will sign copies of his book, ``The Man from Roanoke.'' From 1 to 4 p.m., author Robert Scalf will autograph copies of his new book, ``Leander.'' Every Saturday at 1 p.m. is Kids Story Hour. On Feb. 25, Marty Spraker of Adventure Travel will speak on planning your summer vacation.
by CNB