New Bookstore Bar, RiffRaff, Slated to Open in Providence this Fall
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
RiffRaff, a new "bookstore and bar" is set to open at 215 Dean Street in the West Side neighborhood of Providence this fall.
Owners Tom Roberge and Emma Ramadan have signed the lease and have raised 75% of the startup costs, according to their website, but need to raise another $50,000. In order to do so, they are setting up a community lending program. From their website:
We're excited to announce that construction at 215 Dean Street is set to begin in August. Riffraff draws its inspiration from the best independent bookstores and neighborhood bars, establishments that are welcoming and comfortable and integral to the community. It will be the kind of place where readers looking for a selection of thoughtfully curated books might sit down at the bar and ask their neighbor what they’re reading, and where those meeting a friend for a good inexpensive drink might also pick up a book at the same time.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTConcept, Owners
According to shelfawarness.com, the store will have 1,500 square feet of space which will be split 60/40 between bookstore and bar, hold 7,000-8,000 titles and offer a selection of specialty selection of drinks. The bookstore's emphasis will be on literary fiction, crime, social sciences, poetry, art and graphic novels. There will also be s children's section.
RiffRaff.com writes:
Tom grew up in Connecticut and served in the Peace Corps before landing in New York, where he worked in a variety of roles in the book world: bookseller at McNally Jackson; managing editor at A Public Space; editor at Penguin Books; publicist and bookstore liaison at New Directions; and deputy director at Albertine Books. Some of his favorite authors are Don DeLillo, Maggie Nelson, and Philip K. Dick. His favorite drink is a scotch on the rocks.
Emma studied comparative literature at Brown University before completing a master's degree in translation at the American University of Paris. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Morocco, where she worked translating the late poet Ahmed Bouanani from French into English. Her translations also include the genderless novel Sphinx by Anne Garréta. Some of her favorite authors are Marguerite Duras, Anne Carson, and Marie NDiaye. She's recently become a big Mezcal fan.
About Community Lending Program
All lenders will received a 30% employee discount on books.
"We are seeking loans of a thousand dollars and up from those in the Providence community, and beyond, who believe in bringing this kind of space to Providence's West Side, who value the role culture plays in a community, and who understand the importance of independent, locally-owned businesses to the vibrancy of a city."
Related Slideshow: Top Shelf Tuesday - July 19, 2016
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