Ad Astra Books and Coffee House is looking to November opening of new location
Work is moving along at 135 N. Santa Fe Ave., the soon to be new location of Ad Astra Books and Coffee House, and the owner of the shop is excited for the yet-to-be-determined opening.
Since signing the lease about a year ago, owner Tammy Jarvis said it has been a long time, but a worthwhile journey getting to this place, especially as Ad Astra is set to leave its current location this week.
"(For) the old place, our last day is Saturday, (Oct .8)," Jarvis said.
There will be some time between the closing of the current location and the opening of the new building, just a few doors south.
"We can't take occupancy until the landlord has passed inspection," Jarvis said.
She's hoping that Ad Astra will only be closed for two to three weeks, with a target of having a soft opening close to the beginning of November.
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Using the time to train and hire more staff
While being closed will obviously have its downsides, Jarvis said there is a bit of an upside as well.
"We've got a fairly significant change for us in the food," Jarvis said. "We're going to start doing all of our own baked goods."
In addition to in-house baking, Jarvis said the new shop will also be able to offer some hot breakfast options and possibly a grab-and-go lunch option. These changes mean that Jarvis will also need to add more staff.
"We're going to have to almost double our staff," Jarvis said.
This time between the old and new buildings will allow Jarvis to hire this staff and give them time to train.
"I haven't been able to hire what we'll need because there's nothing for them to train with (right now)," Jarvis said. "(In the new place) we've got a hood and an oven and a real, kind of legit kitchen."
Once they're able to get into the building and occupy it, training on this new equipment will be easier.
As new staff need to be hired, Jarvis said she's looking for people who are possibly looking to expand their knowledge and increase certain skills they may already have to the benefit of customers.
"What I'm really looking for is some people who are interested in honing their craft," Jarvis said. "You may not be a professional baker, but you may be a great baker and are looking to practice the more professional side of things."
Jarvis said she's also hoping to increase the book store side of the business and possibly hiring someone who is passionate about that.
"Maybe they're not a certified librarian, but just an avid book lover," Jarvis said.
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Hopefully open for festivities beginning in November
While there isn't an exact date of the opening of Ad Astra's new location, Jarvis said there are several things going on in the month of November she hopes to be up and running for.
"Our 11th anniversary is at the end of November, so I'd love to have a soft opening the first part of November and a big grand opening for the anniversary," Jarvis said.
Along with the shop's celebrations, the Salina downtown Parade of Lights and Christmas festival is happening on Nov. 19, which is always a big event for Ad Astra and other businesses.
"It's a huge thing for us and we've got to be back open for that," Jarvis said. "So fingers crossed for the building inspection."
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina downtown coffee shop hopes for move to new location in November
