Monday, November 14, 2011
News / Books Outwrite to leave Piedmont Avenue storefront
Posted by Debbie Michaud @DebsMichaud on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 11:46 AM
- Joeff Davis
- Outwrite owner Philip Rafshoon announced in an e-mail this morning that the LGBT bookstore and coffeehouse will be leaving its Piedmont Avenue location.
Outwrite's lease will run out in a few months and the steep rent in a highly desirable location combined with the current challenges facing the book industry have forced Rafshoon to reconsider his business plan. A move to a more affordable space will allow Outwrite to continue operating.
"We're not exactly sure what the last day [in the current space] is," says Rafshoon. "But in the hour and a half since we sent out the e-mail, about 20 people have contacted us about potential spaces. We would love to stay in Midtown - it's the heart of the LGBT community."
The corner of 10th and Piedmont is widely considered the epicenter of gay culture in Atlanta and the Southeast. Much of that has to do with Outwrite since its relocation there in 1996 (previously it was located in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, which now houses Trader Joe's). The Midtown neighborhood blossomed around the gay-owned and oriented business over the last decade and a half to grow into the bustling cultural center it is today.
"It's certainly going to change the neighborhood," says Rafshoon. "I think the toughest thing about making this move is that it will really change this intersection. When you think of people coming into Atlanta, this is the first spot they come to."
Rafshoon says his landlord, Jodaco Inc., "has been great to work with" and is allowing plenty of flexibility as Rafshoon contemplates the shop's next move. "We're moving quickly to find a new space and reduce our rent. In the meantime, we want people to take advantage of the sale so that we can afford the move," says Rafshoon.
Nearly everything in the store is 25 percent off and in the coming weeks Outwrite will hold an auction of posters signed by authors and celebrities to raise funds for the move. Outwrite's 18th anniversary and holiday party will take place Dec. 3.
"It's been great to help the neighborhood grow around us and we're looking forward to helping another neighborhood grow," says Rafshoon.
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