A & E

According to Karen Fadzen, as many as eight businesses that were mainstays in Sewickley have closed over the last two years.

When the Penguin Bookshop, which has been in the community for 80 years, was about to join that list, Fadzen decided to do something. A financial adviser, she turned to two of her clients, Bud and Janet McDanel.

Would they, could they, consider saving this landmark?

The McDanels agreed to make the investment -- which would turn out to be more than a $1 million.

"It's totally a social investment," says Fadzen, now the store's director, adding that the goal is to become economically sustainable in three-to-five years.

The first floor of the shop is devoted to adult fiction and non-fiction, with an emphasis on independent titles, and a coffee bar with large, comfortable-looking chairs.

Upstairs, however, is where the Penguin Bookshop might make its mark. The children's section is brilliantly hued, with a small, carpeted stage dotted with pillows. A space for book groups and readers is in front of a fireplace, with a flat-panel widescreen TV above it. A gleaming, brand-new kitchen will be available for visiting clubs and groups. A glass-enclosed patio/balcony -- the space will be open in warm weather -- is the second floor's crowning touch.

And, when there is a guest speaker, the second-floor bookshelves can be slid to the side to provide more room for seating.

Fadzen says the idea is to mimic the Starbucks coffee chain's model as a center for community interaction.

"We felt that if we can become a place where people will want to hang out, that will help," she says.

There are plans to partner with local schools for reading programs, and to also provide programming for adults and seniors. The Penguin Bookshop has already booked writers for events, notably Mary Pope Osbourne, author of the Magic Tree House series for children, on Oct. 2.

The renovations included updating the store as a LEED-certified (Leadership in Economic and Environmental Design) green building. The green elements included certified lumber, a bike rack and an employee shower.

"We wanted to set an example for how other people can upgrade buildings around town," she says.

Fadzen, who admits she had no experience in running a bookstore, remedied that by hiring a staff that does. Managers Pixie Sohn, Leah Lindemann and Maryanne Eichorn, all have experience working in either bookstores, libraries, or both.

The response from the community has been overwhelming, according to Fadzen. She estimates as many as 1,000 patrons stopped in the store the first day it was open, noting that the store gave away 700 tote bags.

Deanna Grubb, of Sewickley, stopped by for the store's opening and returned earlier this week.

"I have children 6 and 8, and the addition of the loft is great," Grubb says of the store's second floor. "We can find any type of book we want. ... It's a beautiful store. It's so easy to get around, and the layout is so nice. It's nice they have sitting areas; I appreciate that."

The McDanels, who according to Fadzen are reticent about any publicity, are starting to accept their new-found status as the saviors of the Penguin Bookshop.

"I told them when we started people are going to find out who you are," Fadzen says. "A year later, everybody in the community is patting them on the back when they see them. Now, they're like rock stars, and they're loving that."

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