Former owner Gerry Lovchik, new partner Penny Wight and former manager Theo Dzielak are resurrecting the old Couth Buzzard Books at a new location on Greenwood Avenue.
Couth Buzzard Used Books, the former Greenwood bookstore, has plans to rise again, phoenix-like, this fall.
The used bookstore lost its lease on its Greenwood Avenue location in September 2008, but recently the former owner and former manager have teamed up with Lynwood's Espresso Buono Coffee and Cafe to reopen a few blocks south of the old location.
The new Couth Buzzard will be a bookstore and cafe with a space for community meetings and live events. But, it is keeping the old name to build on years of customer goodwill, said Theo Dzielak, who managed the old store for five years and is co-owner of the new one.
"We were open for 20 years," Dzielak said. "We were a local brand name."
He said Couth Buzzard had to close when it could not find an affordable space to move into last year. Now, with the economy going the way it is, they were able to, at 8310 Greenwood Ave. N., Dzielak said.
Dzielak said he is hoping Couth Buzzard can help fill the hole left in the Ballard used-book market by the closure of Epilogue Books and the departure of Abraxus.
He said he was friends with Nathan Heath, owner of the now-closed Epilogue, and was very sad to see the business go.
But, Dzielak said a part of Epilogue will live on as Couth Buzzard purchased the 6,000 unsold books, as well as some equipment, left at Epilogue.
The new store will be owned by Dzielak, former Couth Buzzard owner Gerry Lovchik and Espresso Buono's Penny Wight, who hooked up with the Couth Buzzard team through the business Web site Biznik.
"The Couth Buzzard Books guys, Gerry and Theo, are terrific and I am very happy to be in cahoots with them," Wight said in an email.
Dzielak said they are shooting for a Nov. 1 opening, but that is not set in stone.
"There's a lot of work to do," he said. "We are completely redoing the interior space. And, of course, we have to get the books."
The bookstore is looking for the community's ideas on aspects of the new location, Dzielak said.
"We'd love input from people on what they would like it to be," he said. "It's going to be much more than a bookstore."
He said they could also use volunteers for any of the physical work.
Those interested in giving input or volunteering are asked to contact Theo Dzielak at 206.418.9522 or Penny Wight at penny@espressobuono.com.