The Yale Bookstore, located on University property at 77 Broadway, opened its doors for business on Nov. 21 at noon. The opening of the bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, occurred just in time for the Yale-Harvard Game weekend, and the store drew in many members of the Yale community still in town for the game's festivities.
The opening of the book, café and clothing sections of the store is the first step in bringing to the Broadway shopping area one of the country's premier academic bookstores, with operations at several major U.S. research universities. The Yale Bookstore is one of the largest new retail operations in downtown New Haven in more than a decade.
In order to make the Broadway retail district more active at night, The Yale Bookstore has committed to extended evening hours (9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon-6 p.m. Sunday). It is expected that the store's café, where patrons can get a cup of coffee while browsing for books, will help attract shoppers during the extended evening hours.
The new space was designed and developed with advice from faculty, students, and administrators at Yale and will feature the following:
* an expansive scholarly and general book selection tailored specifically to the Yale and New Haven communities. In addition to building its own extensive title selection, The Yale Bookstore has made available book recommendation forms asking for counsel in personalizing the Bookstore;
* sections devoted to Yale faculty authors and university press books;
* a children's department that will host special events for young book-lovers;
* a "Yale Shop" featuring exclusive designs on clothing, as well as boutique shops of Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Speedo Sportswear; and
* continued operation of a foreign book department by Cecile Cohen of Europa.
As the effective "landlord" of the Broadway property owned by Yale, Vice President and Secretary Linda Koch Lorimer says: "Barnes & Noble has done a terrific job of working with us to create an outstanding facility. From an expanded faculty author section to special decorations in the children's book area, from incorporating Yale memorabilia in the design to creating meeting space for students and faculty, Barnes & Noble has bent over backwards to respond to our requests. The responsibility now falls to Yale faculty, students, and the public to help give Barnes & Noble ideas for what additional book titles and merchandise should be added to the store."
The Broadway area merchants have welcomed their new neighbor. "We have all been looking forward to the opening of The Yale Bookstore," says Elliot Brause, owner of Quality Wine and president of the Broadway Area Merchants Association, whose family has been in business in the area for three generations. "The bookstore's later hours and newly designed space are an important element in bringing more customers to the Broadway area, and all of the area's retailers are eager to work together to revitalize this district."
After the opening weekend, Gary Spearow, general manager of The Yale Bookstore, commented: "It is great to be open. We have heard many positive comments and good suggestions. We look forward to continuing to work with the Yale and New Haven communities to ensure that the this bookstore truly reflects the needs of this area."
The "east" portion of the building -- which will house a Marketplace with food and sundries, a Museum Shop with gift items from Yale museums and other museums around the country, and Jamba Juice the first East Coast location of a popular California enterprise -- is scheduled to open by January.