| Store Name Horizon Books In business to support the community, a place for friendsBusiness Type Book, Periodical, and Music Stores NAICS Code 4512 Location 243 E. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49684 Nearby Businesses Traverse City State Theatre, Red Ginger Owner/Manager Vic Herman Special Store Activities Book signings, live music Year Opened 1961 Website http://www.horizonbooks.com/ Phone 1-800-587-2147 E-mail read@horizonbooks.com Community Profile Traverse City (population: 14,532; 10-mile radius: 67,678) is the self proclaimed “Cherry Capital of the World” hosting annual week-long cherry festival every summer. Located on the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan (lower peninsula), the predominate economic activity is tourism. The combination of nearby ski and golf resorts, cycling, hiking, camping, freshwater beaches, Great Lakes sport fishing, and wine-based tourism draw visitors year-round; making Traverse City the second most popular destination in Michigan. Traverse City is also known for its historic and vibrant downtown dating to the late 1800s.
Review by: Joshua Clements, UW Extention CCED |
Products Sold & Niche DevelopedHorizon Books has a huge selection of books of all types, filling their three-floor location. Horizon Books includes the Cuppa Joe full service coffee café which creates a cozy ambience that encourages patrons to linger, drawing both crowds of residents and tourists. Horizon Books has an outdoor patio that is popular throughout the spring, summer and fall with patrons hanging out with a cup of coffee. Market Segments ServedHorizon books is a large book store featuring books of all types, and thus does not draw a particular market segment. Horizon is known for its local interest section and great children’s books section, working with local schools, teachers, and librarians on product offerings and programs. Horizon Books is a favorite hangout of local residents, and is also popular among tourists and second home owners. Contributions to the Business CommunityIn 1993, Horizon Books moved into an old 4-story JC Penny building that had been vacant for a number of years. Their historic building has high ceilings and fireplaces with seating for checking out a new find. Horizon Books in Traverse City is the central store with two other locations – Downtown Petoskey, MI, and Downtown Cadillac, MI. Horizon Books has been owned by Vic Herman since opening in 1961. Full service coffee shop Cuppa Joe features fair trade coffee, mocha, lattes, espresso, fruit smoothies, other specialty drinks, and soups, sandwiches and salads. Horizon Books and Cuppa Joe host free live music and entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings, drawing large crowds all year round. Horizon Books hosts weekly book signings that draw additional crowds. The coffee shop draws customers from open to close, and offers free WiFi. The integration of a coffeehouse with the book store draws a regular crowd of patrons that hang out downtown. The outdoor patio and coffeehouse creates a vibrant and active streetscape. Horizon Books is a popular meeting place for local organizations, including church groups, environmental and social organizations, chess and board game clubs, book clubs, among many others. There are organizational meetings of some kind going on every day. “We’re in business to support the downtown community. We’re open 7:00am to 11:00pm 7 days a week to create a vibrant place, a place for friends.” |
