Crystal Tomasello said she had to “brag on” her husband Richard a little — operating small businesses is his specialty. So when he decided they should proceed as planned with the opening of Well Red, a bookshop and café in Auburn, she trusted his gut despite the pandemic.
Well Red, which sells books, coffee, wine and dessert, opened its doors on June 22. Just over a month later, it has already established a core of regulars, some of whom come in twice a day.
Crystal admits they’re nervous about the future with COVID-19, that the fact that something could happen and they’d have to close tomorrow is on their minds, but she said they’re taking it day-by-day. They’re focused on keeping things clean and making sure their employees and customers feel comfortable while trying to get off the ground.
On the bright side, as a brand-new business, they can only go up. They’ve already been impressed by how well the word has spread, and they’re so excited about students coming back in the fall.
They’ve also been pleasantly surprised by how many books they’ve sold. Although Well Red was inspired by a book shop, Crystal said they expected to sell more coffee at first. But many customers have expressed how much they enjoy their book collection.
The collection was originally curated by Richard, but he eventually turned to Crystal and the staff for advice. Crystal is a “summer reader” and is currently reading The Heir Affair, while barista Elizabeth Boyle loves looking through the Hamilton book. Since opening, the collection has developed to reflect the community of Auburn.
“If you sit down with Richard for more than five minutes, he’s asking you what’s your favorite author, what kind of genres you like, and then he incorporates that as well,” Crystal said.
While there are already several coffee shops and another small bookshop in Auburn, Crystal said they feel that they are unique and complement the others well. She described it as having a “slice of something wonderful” and being excited to work alongside them to nurture that something wonderful.
The Tomasellos were especially happy to see another small bookshop, Auburn Oil Co., open in Auburn.
“I don’t think Auburn needs just one bookstore,” Crystal said. “Auburn needs both of us.”
Before Well Red opened, they shopped at Auburn Oil Co., which opened in October, and they plan to continue shopping there. The Auburn Oil Co. employees have also stopped by Well Red for coffee.
What makes Well Red stand out from the others is the combination of its offerings and its atmosphere, Crystal and Boyle said. They have something to offer to many groups, they have a very comfortable, cozy feel — “like you just walked into your friend’s living room,” said Boyle, who’s art is displayed in the shop — and they provide safe lounging options with their patio and spaced out indoor seating. Their emphasis on dessert, which was inspired by Richard and Crystal’s date nights, has been particularly successful in drawing in customers.
Richard, who was a part-owner of The Depot with Matt Poirier, found out Hannah Miles, one of The Depot’s former employees, was returning to Auburn after attending culinary school and reached out.
“She fortunately said yes,” Crystal said.
The Tomasellos have given her free reign with the desserts and have an ever-changing menu. Her strawberry cake, brown butter cinnamon rolls and bacon cheddar biscuits have been hits.
“We wanted to have a place for all different ages of people,” Crystal said. “So if you need a place to study, then that’s here. If you want to go on a date and do something similar to Richard and myself and go somewhere different for dessert, we wanted that place to be here.”
Despite being so close to the downtown of Auburn University, Well Red has successfully attracted a wide range of ages. Children come in with their parents for a chocolate milk and a cinnamon roll while older couples share a slice of cake on the deck.
The family feel was a huge emphasis for the Tomasellos, both among their customers and among their staff.
Many of Well Red’s baristas came from Coffee Cat and Mama Mochas, both of whom were very supportive of Well Red through the planning process. While the baristas from the two shops were familiar with each other from latte art competitions, they didn’t know each other too well, but they meshed immediately said Boyle, a former Mama Mochas employee.
The fact that the whole Tomasello family is involved with the operation adds even more depth to the family feel. It’s not uncommon to walk through Well Red’s deep red doors to see 10-year-old Ava managing the register or 15-year-old Collin learning the difference between a latte and cappuccino. Both Ava and Collin are having a blast, Boyle said, but they’re also such hard workers. Crystal said they’ve already learned so much about life from a month of working in the shop.
“(Richard and I) have wanted to work beside each other for so long, and we wanted a place our kids could come and be a part of,” Crystal said. “We’ve wanted that so much, so I feel like the good outweighs the bad … You have to see those silver linings (in the pandemic).”
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The Link LonkJuly 25, 2020 at 08:57PM
https://www.al.com/business/2020/07/well-red-auburns-newest-coffee-shop-proceeds-as-planned-despite-pandemic.html
Well Red, Auburn’s newest coffee shop, proceeds as planned despite pandemic - AL.com
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