A St Andrews bookstore has started work on a former restaurant unit to turn it into a bookworm’s paradise.
Topping and Company Booksellers of St Andrews boasts huge bookshelves complete with rolling ladders and more stories anyone could get through in a lifetime.
The bookseller recently bought the neighbouring unit on Greyfriars Garden, previously housing Kazoku restaurant.
With plans to open the expanded bookshop in November, work has already begun to strip the site and fit large bookcases.
Managing bookseller Duncan Swan said: “We’ve got local joiners from Perth in who do all our bookcases and ladders, so they’ve got a big job ahead of them.
“We’re very passionate about having as wide a range of stock as possible and to be able to really encourage a bookish community.”
Topping St Andrews keeping busy
The St Andrews store opened in 2014 as the third Topping and Company location.
Edinburgh, Bath and Ely in Cambridgeshire also host branches of the traditional bookshop.
It is known for having a busy schedule hosting authors both in and out of the bookshop.
Mr Swan said: “We’ve got a very heavy event schedule throughout the year, so we’ll be doing more of that going forward.
“We offer complimentary tea and coffee to browsers in the shop, so there will be more space to be able to do that.
“It’s an extension of what we’ve already got going on.”
Coming out of the pandemic, the bookseller has noticed many have got back into reading.
Today we have some very exciting news for you… we're expanding!
We're delighted to announce that our expanded bookshop space will be opening next door in November this year. pic.twitter.com/uxufhiy7Mw
— Topping & Company Booksellers of St Andrews (@ToppingsStAs) May 7, 2022
While fewer international tourists visited the shop over the last two years, staycationers and locals kept Topping busy.
The store currently has 12 full-time and part-time staff.
Mr Swan predicts it will need a few more once the expansion is done.
“We’ll be looking to take on some more, probably in November,” he said.
“We’re not quite sure yet of how many more, but given it’s a bigger space, we’ll need a few more to help open and close the shop.”
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