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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Bluebird Books &amp; Café is permanently closing.Melanie Green wrote on Facebook Thursday:"It would be easy for me to tell you this is the story of a pandemic and that Bluebird is collateral damage, felled to the economic chaos the pandemic has caused. And while that is true, it isn’t the whole story. And for your relentless loyalty, but also for my commitment to truth-telling and the power of stories, I want you to know the whole story, as much as I can tell it. If you want that too, please keep reading. But first about the logistics of closing a bookstore during a pandemic:"Bluebird café operations have ceased, effective today. We have a limited amount of homemade and prepared inventory that I would like to sell at a generous discount rather than throwing out. This includes frozen scone dough, ready to bake; frozen cookie dough balls, ready to bake; frozen sweet bread loaves, ready to thaw and eat; whole bean coffee, portioned in half pound, one pound or five pound bags. You can order those items at the link at the end of this post and arrange for pick up.""All orders for books or kits will be fulfilled and can be picked up by appointment or delivered.""Orders for Isolation kits will continue to be accepted as long as we have inventory to fill them. Kits will be filled with inventory that is generously discounted. You can order kits at the link at the end of this post.""All books and gift inventory will be generously discounted and liquidated over the next several weeks. Watch Facebook and e-mail newsletters for more details. I will be organizing inventory and staging it for liquidation the rest of this week and will announce sale dates and events next week.""All furniture, fixtures and equipment will be listed for sale. Watch facebook and email for details.""At the end of last year, as I was closing in on the eighth year for Bluebird Books, I knew that I was ready to pursue other things. I started to strategize and brainstorm a way to transition to new ownership. But owning a bookstore anywhere in this country is a chancy proposition. On a good day in Hutchinson, Kansas, it’s laughable? gutsy? crazy? Yes it is. All of those things. But pre-Covid-19 I was hopeful of finding just the right gutsy, crazy, laughable candidate to take over. And then a pandemic swept in and I was forced to face the reality of what it would do to our economy and the future of Bluebird. For the last 3 weeks, I have hustled to keep Bluebird viable because it matters to my community and because I hoped to find a way to stay open. This pandemic has thrown challenges at all of us. But these last weeks for small businesses have been brutal. Then yesterday as we were opening, the oven failed. Equipment failures in restaurant operations happen often enough that it’s not usually a tipping point … unless you’re operating during a pandemic.""Bluebird Books was born of a love of stories, the power of the written word, and a burning drive to build something in my community that would make a difference. To that end, Bluebird Books is a success. In my eight years downtown, I have heard over and over the stories of what Bluebird means to our community, why it is important, what it has done for one person, one group of people, for all of us. I have been told by so many that Bluebird inspired them to pursue something they thought was impossible -- a new career, a new business, an education, a relationship – whatever their dream may have been, something about Bluebird offered them just enough of a draft that their dreams were set aloft. I am honored to have been a part of those dreams.""Bluebird Books is the story of an independent bookstore in the middle of Hutchinson. But it is also the story of every other downtown entrepreneur. All of them have poured courage and hard work that they likely stored up for years into their businesses. None of them are here on a whim. They are here with a passion that spills over, a gritty tenacity that digs deep and a love for our community. If you love them back, go support them now. They need you now more than ever.""Readers, I am humbled and honored to have put books into your hands these last eight years. There will forever be a Bluebird-shaped hole in my heart."

Bluebird Books & Cafe to close