From beef to books — see how one bookstore is surviving in a tough market. Changing Hands Bookstore has taken over the building of the iconic Beef Eaters restaurant in Phoenix, which has closed, and is now peddling its products with some of the character of the restaurant still intact.
Ted Simons: It's not often a new bookstore opens in town, it's even more unusual to see a shop take over a dying restaurant. Producer Christina Estes has the story.
Cindy Dach: Every day we have a half dozen people come in to tell us their stories about this place.
Christina Estes: It was a popular spot for business deals, birthdays, political marriages and wedding anniversaries. Shortly after the owner died Beefeaters closed. The building sat vacant for seven years until the owners of changing hands began a new chapter.
Cindy Dach: They decided to open their second community bookstore.
Christina Estes: Wanting to save something doesn't always generate enough cash to make it happen.
Cindy Dach: Not a lot of banks jump on the idea of loaning, it's a model going out of business everywhere else in the country.
Christina Estes: Through a crowd-sourcing campaign they asked residents to pitch in $80,000. They collected more than 90,000.
Cindy Dach: There's a lot of ownership of people who come into the building.
Cindy Dach: It's a legacy project. By donating this, being one of the 1100 that made that bookstore happen.
Christina Estes: There is a commitment to community events and gathering places. They kept the form he restaurant's common space and added a coffee, wine and beer bar called First Draft.
Cindy Dach: We wanted to make sure it wasn't just about us, but it was about how to re -- we are now stewards of this building and how do we reflect that in our aesthetic.
Christina Estes: They removed carpeting to reveal the original stores, and repurposed the redwood.
Cindy Dach: Some people look up and air and you can tell where they Saturday with their grandpa.
Shawna Eaton: They kept some of the rafters and fireplaces, it's very reminiscent.
Christina Estes: They enjoyed some good meals in this building. Now she brings her daughter to enjoy a good book.
Shawna Eaton: I think people want that kind of local flavor to come back more.
Christina Estes: Attached to the bookstore is Southern Rail a new restaurant that honors its predecessor by showcasing the vintage leather booths and art pieces purchased in London.
Cindy Dach: There's a lot of history here.
Christina Estes: They can't afford to allow their business model to be clouded.
Cindy Dach: Last year sadly 300 Barnes & Nobles across the country closed. We reached out to several that were closing and there was a store in Pasadena. They were on their way to the landfill.
Christina Estes: They added wheels so the book shelf could be easily moved. The reminder is that moving forward can be just as important as looking back.
Ted Simons: While changing hands has only been open for a few months in Phoenix, its Tempe store is celebrating it's 40th year.
