Creating a Legacy in Texas: New Bookstore Prepares to Open This Fall

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Teri Tanner believes the timing is right to open a 24,000-square-foot indie bookstore in Plano, Texas. The managing partner of Legacy Books, scheduled for a soft opening in the northern suburb of Dallas at the end of October, told BTW, "It's a whopper, but the timing is great. With the economy the way it is, people are really focused on local businesses. They want to spend their money someplace where it will stay in the community."

Tanner, a former district manager for Borders, said that Legacy Books will draw customers by offering 100,000 titles, a cafe and wine/beer bar, a meeting space, Wi-Fi, a full events calendar, and a cooking demonstration kitchen. "Someone can come to the store and their partner can work on their computer while they take a cooking class. What better environment for a cooking class than where you can have a glass of wine and buy the cookbook?"

Being a part of Legacy Books, which is owned by several investors, is "an amazing opportunity. One that doesn't come around very often " said Tanner, a Texas native with about 15 years of bookselling experience at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and B. Dalton.

Legacy Books' three-story location at the Shops at Legacy was designed by the architectural firm Morrison Seifert Murphy. "It's not going to be a quaint and quiet bookstore," explained Tanner. "It will be very contemporary with clean lines, hardwood floors, tons of natural light, and not a lot of graphics and colors. The books will provide the colors and the graphics. When you walk in, it will be all about the books."

The layout of the store was carefully considered and based on customer feedback that Tanner gleaned during her years at the chains. Legacy's 1,500-square-foot mezzanine will be devoted to romance, mystery, and science fiction. "Genre fiction is often given short shrift, but it has many loyal followers," said Tanner. The children's and parenting section will be 1,800 square feet with soft-seating for kids.

The general bookstore will also cater to a nearby corporate park with sizable business, history, and political science sections. "We're looking to position ourselves as the go-to place for corporate business, whether its gifts, events, or authors," said Tanner.

Tanner first saw the Legacy Books location a few years ago when she was working for Borders, which had considered leasing the site. Ultimately, the chain declined, but the Legacy Shops developer, Fehmi Karahan, wanted a bookstore in the shopping center and contacted Tanner about opening one herself. Describing The Shops at Legacy, home to many local and independent businesses including the Angelika Film Center, as a "great fit," she added, "The demographics screamed for an independent bookstore."

Legacy Books' long-range plans will develop based on its first six months of business, said Tanner. "I'm not a purist," she added. "I'm not opposed to offering whatever format it is that customers want to buy. I plan to watch customer demands."

Two years from now, Tanner would like Legacy to be a Dallas must-see. "In the way that people must go to Tattered Cover when they're in Denver, or Elliot Bay when they're in Seattle, every time someone comes to Dallas, I want them to think they must visit Legacy Books."

At the moment, however, she is more focused on the logistics of getting Legacy Books ready for its fall opening. "I'm still looking for a buyer," Tanner said. "That's a critical part of the business. It's the biggest thing weighing on my mind." --Karen Schechner