By Ann Cipperly
After discovering an idea for their dream business, Crystal and Richard Tomasello decided to open Well Red Bookstore in Auburn in 2020 with books, coffee, wine and food. After the success of the bookstore, they began offering the same beverages and foods in April this year at The Fox. Their third business, Well Red: Second Story, opened this past August in a new, spacious building providing cozy ambience and comfortable seating. Customers can linger over freshly made desserts, coffee or wine as they browse a large collection of books.
Richard has a love of books and enjoyed spending time in independent bookstores. It was a dream to have a bookstore of his own one day. Richard, who is from Helena near Birmingham, began attending Auburn University in 2000. After he graduated and received a master’s degree, he didn’t want to leave.
Several years ago, Richard and his wife, Crystal, an instructor at Auburn University, were visiting Asheville, North Carolina, when they discovered the Battery Park Book Exchange. “We loved the space and spent an entire day there,” says Richard. “The store combined books with coffee, wine and food. We came back to Auburn and looked for a place to open a similar business in the same format.”
A friend told them about the building that housed the former Day Spring Health Food Store. They liked the look and feel of the building for their business. They started construction in October 2019, installing new plumbing and other improvements. They left the same structure and created an attractive setting. The business opened in June 2020.
When a suitable location became available in downtown Auburn, Richard and Crystal opened The Fox, their second business that serves the same beverages and foods. The coffee is different at this location, as they use Thankfully Coffee with the coffee beans roasted in Auburn.
With two businesses, they needed a larger kitchen and office spaces and began construction for Well Red: Second Story. “When we opened the first Well Red,” says Richard, “we never anticipated that we would have three shops four years later. It is really in response to the demand and our customers. We needed a big space to be able to handle all the food orders we were getting.”
Well Red: Second Story opened in August this year and has a large kitchen. “The first store is beautiful and has it owns charm,” adds Richard, “but we have a small kitchen and office there. At Second Story we customized the building, and it has a different atmosphere.”
The larger kitchen at Well Red: Second Story also provides food and coffee syrups to The Fox while also handling most catering orders. The kitchen at the original location still prepares the items that are served there.
Before opening the restaurants, Richard and Crystal met with different roasters and have featured different ones over the years. For the last three years, they have been using beans from the Non-Fiction Coffee Company in Pelham. “They reached out and told us their story,” says Richard, “and why they are roasting coffee. We have really enjoyed working with them. We serve their coffee at both Well Red locations.”
The businesses also offer a variety of black tea, green tea and herbal teas. The two most popular teas are peach paradise and mango green tea that is served hot or iced. Other beverages include strawberry lemonade, hot chocolate and hot apple ciders.
Richard and Crystal knew they wanted food for breakfast, afternoons with wine and desserts. They feel fortunate to have found good bakers. Kendra Webb and her team are making all the food.
Popular items for breakfast have been cinnamon rolls, breakfast cookies, bacon cheddar biscuits, quiche, banana bread and muffins. With the bigger kitchen, they plan to offer sandwich trays in the afternoon. Currently, charcuterie plates are available in the afternoon and pair well with wine.
Richard and Crystal have always enjoyed going out for dinner and having dessert someplace else. They wanted to have a good selection for customers to stop by after dinner for dessert. Seasonal specialties include pumpkin pie bars and pumpkin cheesecake in the fall and peppermint cheesecake during the Christmas holidays.
Special orders and catering are also available. For a dessert on the menu, a three-day notice is generally enough time, while a week is required for making a dessert not on the menu.
“When we opened Well Red we didn’t know how the book sales would go,” says Richard, “but we sell more books than we ever anticipated. People come in and show us books on Amazon and ask if we have those books. Sometimes we can sell the book then or we can order it for them.
“Chloe Livaudais and I decide on books to order, and she keeps me informed on which books are being released. Now that we have been open for four and a half years, we have a lot of regular customers who buy books from us. They keep us alert on what is being released.”
Both Well Red stores carry a variety of books. Sometimes when they order a book for a customer, they will also order one for the store if it fits in with what they usually carry.
When the students leave for Christmas break or summer, Richard sees more townspeople come in the businesses then. “It is nice to see more of the locals,” he says. “We see our regulars at all three locations.
“The customer service and quality of products are the same at all three stores. It is the environment, décor and feel that is different. All three have Wi-Fi, so people can bring their laptops and relax, or if they are working from home, they can come in and work on their computer.”
The Fox is the most rustic with colored lights in the ceiling and a large mural of a fox on a bicycle. It also has a nice sitting area outside with blooming plants.
Well Red: Second Story has a spacious, inviting setting where customers can be comfortable and take a blissful break. While browsing the book selections, they can enjoy a delectable dessert and sip coffee or a glass of wine.
“We love that we have three different coffee places, and they all have their own feel and look,” says Richard.
The Tomasellos are carrying out their mission, “To create a welcoming community space that serves as a hub for gathering, relaxation and growth. We strive for fellowship through the love of books, delicious coffee, and meaningful dialogue. With a carefully curated selection of books and a cozy atmosphere, we aim to inspire curiosity and ignite the joy of reading.”
Well Red: Second Story
1150 North Donahue, Auburn
334-246-3034
The Fox
124 Tichenor Ave., Auburn
334-209-0213
Well Red Bookstore
223 Opelika Rd., Auburn
334-246-3021
