Although the Rittenhouse Square bookstore, cafe, and publisher has already shrunk its operating footprint and will close its doors sometime in the next month, this isn’t necessarily goodbye forever.For now, though, the store — which already has closed its cafe and upstairs portion — will shut down completely, another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the bookseller’s
Neller, who bought that store in 2015, sought to expand its footprint. He reestablished a foothold on Manhattan’s Upper West Side — and opened its first branch outside of New York in Center City.» READ MORE:In just four years, the elegant, wood-filled store has become a local favorite. The front-of-house cafe, a well-curated inventory of books, and a staff that one Yelp reviewer called “ridiculously capable” brought in a steady stream of customers.
Rittenhouse Square relies heavily on offices and tourism from foot traffic — both of which, Neller said, had stayed low enough to keep business below pre-pandemic levels.