Businesses, restaurants welcome support

PHEONIXVILLE » A Phoenixville book store is taking proactive measures to ensure it not only survives the pandemic, but prospers economically

Jason Hafer of Reads & Company says knowing what to do and when to do it is crucial.

“Logistical things like where do we get enough hand sanitizer and other supplies to make sure we have what we need, but also the greater public health,” he said. “At what point is it OK to welcome our customers back to the store, and what are all the things we need to do to keep them safe? Our business is really designed for crowds — whether that means packing the store for an author event, increased foot traffic during Phoenixville’s festivals and First Fridays, or working with other businesses like the Colonial Theatre or Bistro on Bridge on events that could only happen in a tight-knit business community.

Hafer said there are no plans to go back to crowd-based events anytime soon.

“We are looking at the big picture,” he said. “And in the short term, the timing and steps we need to go from having our door locked to being open again (curbside, appointments, social distancing) is a very real challenge.”

Hafer said there are many signs that the business will be booming again very soon.

“The response from our community has been incredible over the past months,” he said. “We’ve only been open for about a year, so all of our models and projections haven’t really had time to come into focus, pandemic aside, but

what we have seen from our customers has been truly incredible.

“We receive multiple

messages every day from people asking how they can best support us and if there is anything they can do to help. That means a lot, because this is an uncertain time for everyone, and the fact that people take the time to reach out to us gives us a tremendous amount of hope. People are choosing to order from us online, where they have other choices.”

Hafer said he modified event schedules and moved it online, and hundreds of people are attending our virtual sessions.

“Selling books is a very small part of what a bookstore actually does, kind of the end result of building community, curating a great inventory and providing an opportunity for people to convene and interact with each other,” he said.

Hafer said resources provided by Chester County government will help in the process.

“These resources and guidance are very important,” he said. “At a state or national level, all politics aside, it is difficult to provide guidance that is right for everyone. So at a more local level, with the specific challenges we are facing here, the response has been excellent.”

Jason Hafer