We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kris Snyder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kris below.
Hi Kris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
The bookstore bar certainly isn’t a new concept, many others have existed before mine. We saw a surge of them as bookstores tried to find innovative ways to survive during the pandemic Ive been to several during my travels, however Ive always found them in bigger cities. Trying this concept out in a small town felt like a bit of a risk but with a small town feel comes a greater sense of community, which are how bookstores thrive.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My background has been medical for a very long time. The inspiration behind opening a bookstore came from my own existential crisis in wanting to find something I have a passion for and trying to find what I really to do my remaining time on this big space rock.
Blackbird is more than just a bookstore, we are a cafe by day and a full service bar at night. The bookstore is not just a theme, but is a fully run bookstore offering a wide variety of genres. Im very proud of our selection in that we truly offer something for everyone. No one could ever feel left out at Blackbird. Im incredibly proud of my staff for the hard work they put into making sure everyone has a great experience. But I may be most proud of having built a space that has introverts making friends, strangers meeting and leaving as new acquaintances and almost no one is ever on their phone
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
I took a huge risk hiding my front door, which of course I did by complete accident. I really like the look of an oversize portrait and I thought it would be fun to put one on a sliding track and use it as a door. It hangs on a black track up against a white wall, so I never thought it would be hard to find. I was dead wrong. Its been a year and I still get several calls a week from people trying to find us. But its paid off because once they do find us, their reaction when they slide the door is worth it every time! As a nerdy millennial I LOVE getting called a ‘Harry Potter vibe’
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Facebook is still very underrated and is VERY effective in a small town. I think it might require a little more consistency but it has definitely been worth the time Ive had to put into my posts and event pages.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackbirdbooksandspirits.com
- Instagram: @blackbirdbooksspirits
- Facebook: /blackbirdbooksspirits
Image Credits
Blake Stewart