What a Day: Looking Back on Our Grand Opening
On Saturday, August 22, Word on the Street Books officially opened its doors at 2044 First Street in downtown Livermore, and we’re still smiling about it.
We pulled up to the store about 90 minutes before opening, expecting to have the place to ourselves while we got set up. Instead, a couple of lovely early birds were already waiting for us. They’d been there since 7 a.m. That set the tone for the whole day.
We’d promised free tote bags to the first 50 people through the door, and word clearly got around. By the time we unlocked the doors, the line stretched down the sidewalk almost to the back of First Street Alehouse. Seeing that many people waiting to come into a bookstore is something we won’t forget.
From that first customer on, we barely had a moment to breathe. All told, more than 1,000 people came through our doors that day: longtime friends who followed the truck all over the Tri-Valley, neighbors who’d been peeking in the windows during the buildout, and plenty of brand-new faces.
To everyone who waited in line, browsed the shelves, bought a book, or simply stopped in to say congratulations: thank you. Opening a bookstore in Livermore has been a dream of ours, and you made the first day better than we could have imagined.
The shelves are restocked and the doors are open. Come see us at 2044 First Street. We can’t wait to help you find your next great read.
Since the opening was about six weeks ago, I wrote it as a look back. If you want to add store hours, a photo caption, or a line about upcoming events, send them over and I’ll work them in.
Scenes from the day
