Kramers (bookstore)
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Bookstore, Restaurant |
Founded | 1976 |
Founders | Bill Kramer, Henry Posner, David Tenney |
Headquarters | |
Key people | Steve Salis,(owner) |
Website | kramers |
Kramers (formerly known as Kramerbooks & Afterwords or Kramer's
History
Early history
Kramers, located at 1517 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood, opened in August 1976 by Bill Kramer, David Tenney, and Henry Posner.[2][3] Two months later, the business partners opened Afterwords Cafe, with an entrance on 19th Street, in the same building.[4] Constructed in 1920, the building was originally an automobile showroom. Later tenants included Hudson Air Conditioning Corporation and the women's clothing stores Looby and Peck & Peck.[5]
The bookstore was one of four in Washington, D.C., managed by Kramer, who had taken over the business from his parents, Sidney and Miriam Z. Kramer, librarians who opened their first store, Sidney Kramer Books, in 1946.[6] Kramer wanted to open a business that provided customers a place to eat and read, what he described as "two of the three most enjoyable human activities." At the time of its opening, few places in the country provided such a service. The concept became popular, and other businesses, including the Harvard Book Store and Square Books, followed Kramerbooks & Afterwords' lead and opened their own cafes.[7]
In its early history, Kramers was open 24 hours and soon became a popular destination for neighborhood residents, authors, and politicians.
In 1984, Afterwords Cafe expanded by offering sidewalk seating on 19th Street. The business expanded again in 1991 when the adjoining building occupied by Cafe Splendide, 1521 Connecticut Avenue, was purchased.[4] The expanded section included an enlarged bar.[8] In 1993, the first of two branches opened in Arlington, Virginia. The 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) store was three times the size of the Connecticut Avenue location and also included a restaurant.[9][10] Both of the Arlington branches were unsuccessful and soon closed.[4]
Lewinsky scandal
Kramers came to national attention in 1998 during the Lewinsky scandal. It successfully fought a subpoena from
In an interview, Kramer defended his actions, citing the
Later history and sale
Despite the decline in the independent bookstore industry, Kramers has continued to draw in customers looking for an intimate setting, live music, author events, and full bar.
The shuttering of large chain bookstores, most notably the nearby Books-A-Million, proved to benefit Kramers. However, the increased number of trendy restaurants in the city affected the cafe's business.[3][20] The cafe and bookstore bring in around the same amount of revenue, whereas before the cafe brought in more money. In 2015, the combined sales for the restaurant and cafe were $10 million. That same year Kramer and Tenney began plans to sell the business. Tenney said, "I knew the business was viable, but I also knew the restaurant was beat up and tired. If we could find some way to resurrect and invigorate the restaurant, there would be a wonderful future ahead." They were introduced to &pizza co-founder Steve Salis and in 2016, it was announced Salis would purchase Kramer's with Tenney remaining as part-owner.[3] In 2017, Salis became sole owner of the store.[21]
Salis oversaw an expansion and renovation of the business that included purchasing the adjoining building previously occupied by Willie T’s Lobster Shack. With the additional 800 sq ft (74 m2) of retail space, the bookstore and cafe measure 4,500 sq ft (420 m2).[20] In 2017, several longtime employees, including the general manager, events manager, and head buyer, quit after disagreements with Salis and opened a new bookstore on H Street NE later that year.[22][23]
In April 2020, Salis set up a pop-up take out and delivery of his BBQ sandwich franchise, the Federalist Pig, in the Afterwords Cafe.[24] Salis announced in May 2020 that he intended to relocate Kramers to an undisclosed location. The local community responded with regret and grief.[25][26] Salis later clarified he would keep the bookstore at its original location for at least three more years. In August 2020, he changed the name of Afterwords Cafe to All Day by Kramers, with a menu designed by Chef Vincent Griffith.[27]
References
- ^ a b c d Steinhauer, Jennifer (November 29, 1992). "Good-Time Bookstore". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Party of One, Table of Contents, Please". The Washington Post. September 9, 1988. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Bhattarai, Abha (November 18, 2016). "After 40 years, Kramerbooks gets a (young) new owner". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Brace, Eric (November 15, 1996). "Kramerbooks: After Dark Bestseller". The Washington Post. pp. N10. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ Cochran, Tom (January 27, 2012). "If Walls Could Talk: Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe". Ghosts of DC. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ "Miriam Z. Kramer, Cofounder Of Bookstores in Washington". The New York Times. May 2, 1982. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ Sagon, Candy (November 11, 1992). "Hungry Minds Want to Know: Where Can We Read and Eat? At Bookstore Cafes, Food is a Best-Seller". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Lothar, Corinna (May 16, 1996). "Food for Thought at City's Bookstores: Novel Way to Eat and Find Serious Reading Material". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Richman, Phyllis C. (August 13, 1993). "Competing In the Pits". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ Streitfeld, David (November 29, 1993). "Books: The Hot New Bestseller; Chains Threaten Neighborhood Stores in a Bitter Battle to Meet America's Need to Read". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c Streitfeld, David (May 29, 1998). "Kramerbooks Vows to Stand Firm". The Washington Post. pp. B01. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ a b "Bookseller Says He'll Fight Subpoena for Lewinsky List". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 30, 1998. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ "A Chronology: Key Moments In The Clinton-Lewinsky Saga". CNN. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Stanley, Aaron (July 27, 2015). "Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café, Washington DC". Financial Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ "Interview with a Bookstore: Kramerbooks & Afterwords, a Washington DC staple". The Guardian. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Bendeck, Geoff (March 8, 2016). "Books and Beer: The Seven Best Bookstore Bars". Men's Journal. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Selyukh, Alina (November 26, 2011). "Obama promotes shops on "Small Business Saturday"". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Freed, Benjamin (May 30, 2016). "Veep Recap: Old Crone". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Meltzer, Dana (May 25, 2003). "Margaret Cho". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Kelly, Hillary (November 28, 2016). "Best News Ever for Booklovers: Kramerbooks Has Expanded". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Sidman, Jessica (2018-01-19). "How a Nightclub Doorman/Model Became a DC Restaurateur, Real Estate Player, and Bookstore Owner". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Bhattarai, Abha (February 12, 2017). "Management team at Kramerbooks quits as new owner's changes take hold". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Bhattarai, Abha (August 3, 2017). "Former Kramerbooks managers to open new bookstore on H Street NE". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ^ Hiatt, Gabe (2020-04-15). "Barbecue Hub Federalist Pig Puts a Sandwich Delivery Pop-Up in a Dupont Bookstore". Eater DC. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Cooper, Rebecca (August 10, 2020). "Steve Salis looks outside Dupont for Kramerbooks 2.0". Bizjournals.
- ^ Hiatt, Gabe (2020-05-20). "It's Way Too Early to Mourn Kramerbooks". Eater DC. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Hiatt, Gabe (2020-08-05). "The Store Formerly Known as Kramerbooks Introduces a New All Day Restaurant". Eater DC. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
External links
- Official website
- "Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe", documentary produced by WETA-TV
- "Lewinsky Book Purchases", news conference video by C-SPAN