Most people know you as the owner of the Katonah Reading Room but more recent transplants to town may not realize that you started your career as a social worker and then became one of the OG mom bloggers. Tell us about why you decided to launch Essentialmom.com and what your community of readers was like back then? I was a social worker in the Bronx for years, but after having kids, the travel and the emotional time the work took became difficult. Being home more, I realized that many parents had the same questions and needed the same information, so I started putting the resources together in an email for friends, and the subscribers just kept growing. I met a web designer newsletter fan and we created a site to house the content. I loved being able to help other parents new to the area with tips, places to go, and ways to get through a day with little people, as well as being a resource to bring my community together while supporting non-profits, museums, gathering spots and small businesses.
While your blog no longer exists, a little Internet sleuthing led me to its archives,- as I was reading through old posts of yours, I was struck by how similar your mission was to Fern Hill, a platform to share resources for women and to promote local businesses and organizations. As a local business owner yourself, what have been your greatest resources and support over the years?
In creating EssentialMom.com, I realized that many small businesses had no way to get the word out about themselves, so I created a mini website tool for businesses with no online presence. This was before Facebook and Instagram became popular, and I was intent on creating a way for people to directly market themselves. Now that Instagram and social media exist, they are our greatest resource. I have spent years on the Chamber board teaching other businesses how to get online, how to communicate and how to use social media and created @katonahdaily for the small businesses to work together. Word of mouth and customer support are our greatest assets and make the biggest difference to supporting small businesses.
A little over ten years ago you and your husband Pete decided to purchase a bookstore in Katonah, Little Joe’s and you have been a small local business owner ever since. Can you talk about what led to that decision? Would you do it all over again knowing what you know now and what, if any different decisions would you make?
Pete was working with Table Local Market in Bedford Hills and when that partnership dissolved, we were looking for a space for a business when Noka Joe’s Jennifer Cook posted that she was putting it up for sale. Our oldest son had done an “internship” with her (I believe he was 12) and we just LOVED the space. I went to Pete and said, THIS, we should do this! He of course said “what do we know about bookstores” and I said EVERYTHING…and nothing. So we jumped in and learned A LOT about bookstores and coffee and commuters and more about small business than I’d ever thought there was to know. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Have there been sad times and terrible times and rough times. Yes. But I love what I do and I loved that tiny little space and its warmth.
In 2015 a few years after opening Little Joe’s you expanded to open the Reading Room around the corner where the original library of Katonah was housed in the 1800s. What was it like to take over such a historic space and what was your vision for the Reading Room when it first opened?
We had always wanted the Reading Room space for a gourmet market and William Nicholas was one of my clients at EssentialMom.com, so I knew Jeff and Andy well. When we opened at Little Joe’s, Jeff came over about 2 weeks later and casually dropped that they were looking to retire. We never would have opened the bookstore had we known they were looking to sell, but we just decided to do both! The Reading Room was a gourmet market and cafe when it first opened, a beautiful casual community breakfast and lunch space filled with happy smiles and amazing food. We discovered that the building had been the original library in town and it just fit to call it the “Reading Room.”
You had to make what must have been a tremendously difficult decision to close the Reading Room in the spring of 2020 as a result of Covid. Can you share what that moment was like for you personally and professionally?
We closed our doors on March 13, 2020 and when we knew covid was not a temporary situation, we knew the Reading Room couldn’t survive. Before covid it was running at a loss and we didn’t have enough traffic or seating and having another coffee shop (even that we ran) around the corner was always a problem, so we knew immediately it couldn’t work with less foot traffic and covid precautions. It was an absolutely devastating decision. We had to lay off so many staff members, called them each individually and worked with all of them to be sure they would be financially ok. We left Little Joe’s open and kept staff who were willing to work or didn’t qualify for unemployment. Little Joe’s was more nimble and easier to run with a smaller staff. But, we also own the building at the Reading Room, so were paying rent to Little Joe’s with an empty building around the corner, with terrible sales and stressful conditions. It was disastrous and heart wrenching on every level.
Thankfully for all of us the Reading Room is about to celebrate its two year reopening anniversary. It has once again become a central hub for our community but looks a little different than it did before Covid. Can you talk about some of the changes you’ve made and what you’re most excited about these days?
We redesigned while covid was still surging and knew that we had to get rid of the seating while still trying to maintain an amazing menu and of course, books! I tried to stuff every single thing I loved about both places into the Reading Room. We have items for sale hanging from every single surface…books, art supplies, gifts for the kids, candy and snacks, and I couldn’t give up ice cream or slushies, a full coffee menu, and of course avocado toast and other creative menu items like fresh salads and egg sandwiches and grilled cheeses. It took a long time to get everything back, but we now have pretty close to the best menu items from the old Reading Room as well as some new treats. I am really excited about what we have for food, as well as our art supply section which has expanded, AND our upstairs space which has developed into a really lovely community – adult workshops and classes and lectures and author visits and community in the nicest of ways. It’s a great vibe and is filling the part that I missed the most about the old Reading Room – casual encounters and a happy space for people to meet up.
You have told me before that the Reading Room is truly a labor of love, what do you love most about your job?
I love that I can create a space for people that is welcoming and community minded. I love books and conversations and putting people together in a room. I love introductions and supporting other businesses, and I love putting books into kids’ hands and welcoming them to a whole world that lives on our shelves.
One of the things I love most about coming into the Reading Room is being greeted by your team of employees who always seem to welcome patrons with genuinely warm smiles. How do you keep your employees motivated and happy?
We adore them. I protect them and encourage them to be themselves; I cheer for them when they move on to new careers, or when they stay and learn new skills and grow with us. They know I have their backs with tough customers and that they come before profit. They like that we get involved with local charities, and that we are always coming up with fun events and that I let them be part of every decision we make.
Living and working in Katonah for over twenty five years, having opened and closed your own businesses, you have been very candid about the realities of owning a small local business. What advice would you give to others thinking about following a similar path and opening a brick and mortar in a small town like Katonah?
My family is lucky to have financial investments other than the Reading Room which fund our life. Most of the dollars that come into the Reading Room go right back into the business to pay staff, make improvements, or run the business. Small businesses in small towns take years to turn a profit, if ever. I love the work, but it is a labor of love, not a money maker. Go into the business with more than passion to back it up, talk to other business owners in town, do your research…so many people think they can do it better, or that somehow their coffee shop/retail space/restaurant will be different, and they end up in debt or closing. Don’t be afraid to talk to other businesses and be a team player, you are not just committing to your business and becoming a part of the fabric of the town where you are located. Give me a ring, I’ll give you all the dirty and GREAT details, sharing our wins and losses is always something I am happy to do!
Lightning Round:
What is the one book you can’t stop recommending?
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Who are the writers (living or dead) you’d most like to host at the Reading Room?
Louisa May Alcott. Obviously I was obsessed with Jo March and Little Women as a child.
What new business you’d like to see open in our area?
An evening wine bar and tapas place.
What would you do with one extra hour everyday?
Read more books.
