More About Tachair Bookshoppe
Dear Art, Book, and Conversation-Lovers,
Here is a little more information about our cause!
Our Story
Jersey City’s numerous open market venues offer a unique opportunity for local entrepreneurs with a limited amount of seed money to test their business plans face-to-face with its vibrant, creative, local community. In 2010, my daughter and I began our plans to open a brick-and-mortar book café, and we looked to the popular Creative Grove Artists Market for our start. There, we set up a table with a few shoeboxes of used books, some original photos and art, and handcrafted reusable shopping bags labeled, “Made in Jersey City”! Over the next couple of years, we took our roving bookstore to other venues such as the Historic Downtown Jersey City Farmers’ Market, Hamilton Park Farmers Market, and the Van Vorst Park Farmers Market. The process was amazing, like nothing else we have ever experienced. The casual “buy local” venues gave us the opportunity to try out our ideas with the advantage of immediate feedback-direct, honest and local. We always had in mind the notion that we could be part of the bigger picture. Not alone in a competitive sea of new start-ups, but part of a major, citywide mission to make Jersey City a destination for the arts: visual, performing, literary and educational. It is not about starting a store to provide a service in an existing community. It’s about joining a remarkable and unique citywide endeavor to build a sustainable local economy, so people who live in Jersey City and beyond can shop, work and party locally.
What We Need
You’re invited to our party! Join our “buy local” endeavor. Indie bookstores promote community and local growth. They provide a hub for launching and discussing ideas. Please help us expand our venue as the only Indie bookstore in Jersey City!
We are expanding our business in four different areas! Here they are:
- Heating and Cooling System: Our current system does not have enough power to keep the store cool when we are full of people in the summer or warm when the temperatures drop in the winter. We are planning to work with Sustainable JC to install an eco-friendly system. This will include storm windows, fans for cross-ventilation, etc!
- Organization and Space for Books: People in JC really care about their books! We get beautiful, high-quality donations daily. We are a place for recylcing used books...like a book adoption agency! However, with only 1,000 sq ft (and that is being shared with our art gallery), we have to be creative about where we intake, store, and display our new, used and vintage books. We are planning to add more shelving, cabinets, and a receiving station for book donations. Better organization will not only help customers see all of the fantastic titles we have, but it will enable us to get these donated books on the shelves faster!
- Gallery Lighting: As you can see in the video, we have a great space with high ceilings. We will be installing museum lighting so that the artwork will be more visible and dazzling! This is probaly going to be the most expensive area to improve. Again, we are committed to staying as sustainable as possible!
- Live Performance Space: We are currently working on making entertainment licenses more accessible to art galleries accross Jersey City. However, not only do we need to afford the licensing fee, but we also need to upgrade our PA system, open up the stage area, and bring in more comfortable and atmospheric seating in the form of little cafe tables and better bar stools. Additionally, we would like to make our restroom and entrance more accessible to the handicapped.
Thank You For Your Continued Support! We Love Art, Books, Conversation, AND Jersey City!
Sincerely,
Carol Valleau, Co-owner, Tachair Bookshoppe
