Druid City Books & Coffee

Food, coffee, books, & art... Opening soon!

Druid City Books & Coffee will consist of a cafe/coffeehouse and bookstore,with the cafe and coffeehouse serving as the primary source of revenue for the business. The bookstore will generate revenue, but its chief function is to provide atmosphere, build a connection with the community, and drive traffic to the cafe. The business will open early in the morning for breakfast and will close at midnight or later, depending on demand.

Cafe and Coffeehouse

The DCBC cafe will serve quality food, coffee, and coffee drinks, including burgers, panini sandwiches, flatbread pizzas, pasta, breakfast items, baked goods, desserts, and milkshakes (see attached menu for more detail). The menu offerings will change seasonally to reflect the availability of fresh ingredients and consumer preferences.

The cafe will provide delivery service over a limited area, including the University of Alabama campus, DCH Regional Medical Center, downtown Tuscaloosa, downtown Northport, and the Forest Lake area.

Bookstore

The bookstore will sell a variety of new, used, rare, small press, and hard-to-find books. Used books will be preferred, as they can be acquired at low cost and are not readily available in the Tuscaloosa area. Druid City Books, LLC currently possesses a large inventory of books; additional inventory will be acquired as items are sold. New book selections will be based on a mix of previous sales and new recommendations from bookstore patrons, University of Alabama faculty, and bookstore staff.

Market Summary

Druid City Books & Coffee will serve many customer groups in the Tuscaloosa area, but its core customers will be downtown professionals, University students, professors, arts supporters, and bar patrons. By building strong, ongoing relationships with each of our target markets, DCBC will build a loyal base of customers that can support it even during the slowest times of the year.

Downtown Professionals

During daylight hours, the majority of our sales will be driven by downtown businesses. DCBC will be the only nearby restaurant that serves a fast, high quality breakfast and a variety of coffees, both of which will work to bring in morning customers. The lunch menu will be a strong attraction for working professionals in need of a quick meal, as well as workers at other retail businesses in the area. DCBC will be conveniently located within walking distance of nearly all shops and businesses in the area, ensuring that these customers return regularly.

Arts Supporters

Tuscaloosa and Northport both have a strong arts culture, as demonstrated by the success of the Kentuck Arts Festival and other ongoing cultural events in the area. Druid City Books & Coffee intends to support the arts by offering venue and wall space for local, regional, and national artists, drawing in arts supporters from the area. As there is no similar alternative in the area, these customers may be willing to travel greater distances to visit the space, expanding DCBC's geographic reach and increasing its customer base.

Bar Patrons

DCBC's planned location is in the downtown entertainment district, which contains many bars that remain open until late in the night. Currently, patrons of these bars have few options for late night food – and almost no options once the bars are closed. On the weekends, Druid City Books & Coffee intends to stay open until after bar closing hours, giving patrons a place to go for food and coffee before heading home. Besides the convenient hours and location, DCBC's menu selection will provide a satisfying end to the night, ensuring that it will be the first choice for many.

University Students and Professors

The bookstore/cafe concept is common in many college towns, as professors and students supply a recurring source of demand. Druid City Books & Coffee will attract business from the University of Alabama through both its proximity to campus and its extended hours. In addition, the book selection, artistic performances, and comfortable atmosphere will all work to attract student business. Although not all students have the transportation or time to travel off-campus, delivery will allow students to purchase food without even leaving campus.