Book Buyers is a huge space. Make space for Caffe Romanza and Jay! Our family has been going to Caffe Romanza for years. We love eating and working there. The food and drinks are delicious and much better priced than all of the chains going in everywhere else. I would take Caffe Romanza over Paris Baguette any day. The city should avoid giving a permit to a big chain and try to preserve what we already love in Mountain View.

Save Caffe Romanza! Support small business, Mountain View!

I agree! Caffe Romanza is my go-to lunch place when I want tasty food and an opportunity to talk without crowds and noise. It's also a great place to write and eat and meet fellow book lovers in the same location. I strongly recommend that Books Inc consider taking them along. Also agree re: Paris Baguette. Nice, but not even close to the quality of Caffe Romanza. I would not transfer my lunch location there, so would probably spend less time in Mountain View at lunchtime. So many people I know buy books after having lunch, I can imagine the lack of a cafe might cut into Books Inc bottom line. Save my Caffe!

I was walking by Books, Inc. the other day and saw the sign that they were leaving. I am really glad that they are just moving next door--they are a great asset for downtown. Maybe they should put up a sign saying they are moving next door so passers-by like me don't get worried...

I'm not surprised at all. Book buyers didn't stand a chance with a store selling books in better condition right next door. Now Books Inc gets the less expensive space. Good move!

I'm so glad Books Inc. will still remain in the downtown area. My family and I have enjoyed this book store for many years, and I'm glad they are wanting to expand the children's section. Caffe Romanza has also been a big hit for us since we often stop by for yummy treats either before or after shopping. It's our hope that Caffe Romanza and Books Inc. will move together in the new space since they have been a successful team for many years.

Thrilled we will keep Books Inc in downtown.I will be a regular buyer !

Not being able to take unbought books into the cafe really killed any advantages of colocation for me. Barnes and Noble does it albeit not very comfortably. Waterstones in the UK seems difficult to beat, except it's a bit far.

Ah, too bad they won't be taking over the whole space. Currently Books Inc. is kind of cramped and has a limited selection. It would have been nice for them to expand.

Just how many upscale bakeries does one street need? For retail to succeed we need something interesting to visit. Paris Baguette I dont know you but I really dont want you. We already have a really authentic chinese bakery, and a pricey bakery for the 1% I forget the name its so great! I looked at it once, laughed at the prices and moved on.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT PLEASE!!!!!!! Personally I loved the used bookstore and see no reason to buy books at full retail plus tax - are you guys crazy?

May we hope that Books, Inc does well at their new address. I used to frequent the Printers, Inc bookstore at that location and for years they had someone making interesting choices for books in various subjects. One could buy a cool book about some subject one wouldn't have been looking for. Books, Inc is doing that now.

Do parents introduce kids to books now by showing them the high resolution, random access pages with no batteries to buy or charge? You can drop a book too. You can even read a book outdoors and in sunlight! Impressive technology. Adobe may as well just slink away......

The present Books, Inc on the corner was originally a bank, so they have the high ceiling, the vault for the kids room, the balcony for the coffee shop, and the windows overlooking the main floor. For Printers Inc, the now furniture store in the back was a sandwich/coffee shop accessible from the bookstore. About all the remote owner can do with it now is to reflect on having been bested by competition and remodeling it to install a normal second story to rent as office space.

The first floor could be a store selling tee shirts from China printed to look like preppie stuff for customers who can't afford the real thing because their rent is so high. Abercrombie's somehow sells clothes with big posters of people with no clothes on. Remember the tale of The Emperor's New Clothes? Maybe his tailor's descendants could set up shop on Castro Street. Their product would be fashionable and less expensive with a low cost of goods, just the high rent. I know these are great, ground breaking ideas and I'm just giving them away...

@Racist Much - Reading the post prior to yours just doesn't suggest racist anything. The name of the company from their Web site is PARIS BAGUETTE AMERICA INC., which suggests a possible non-US company but you have to click on franchising to find that its origin was in South Korea in 1945. It must have been an adventure to start anything there in those days. People may object to yet another chain able to capitalize a business, cross-subsidize it from their existing stores to start up, and enjoy some economies of scale or arbitrage. Most folksy looking stores these days, especially in malls, are chains or franchises at best.

There are neighborhoods in San Francisco that campaign relentlessly against chain stores on their local commercial streets. So those streets are thriving with actual local businesses. Once going they can often compete, though small business is hard. Building owners, of course, get lower returns. Sunnyvale's Murphy Street area seems local but I don't know anything about it. Perhaps compromise is possible. Around here, and especially in Palo Alto, neighborhoods campaign relentlessly, but righteously, to maximize the price of their houses, their only savings.

Paris Baguette is anything but "upscale". It'll probably be the most affordable bakery on Castro. But I'm sure people will complain about that as well

Yay! So glad that Books Inc. found a great solution to stay right downtown, happy for them! Let me echo others about Paris Baguette. Whenever I go into the one in Palo Alto, I always walk out thinking "meh." Having the local cafe would be awesome!

The issue with PARIS BAGUETTE is not the origin of the chain but is terrible quality

My family loves Paris Baguette. Let them open in Mountain View and they will either succeed or fail on their own. No need to police which shops and restaurants are "allowed" to open in downtown. I'd be very happy to not have to drive to Palo Alto just to eat there. We could just walk there instead! That other bakery is really nice too (forgot the name), but always too crowded we can never get a table. Alexanders is just to expensive for us. Really looking forward to PB in downtown MV!

I keep the prey for having Philz Coffeewalla come to Castro

I am glad to read that Books Inc. will be moving to the former site of BookBuyers. It seemed obvious to me after I saw the sign that the store was moving this summer and that the current location will be available for lease once Books Inc. has moved. It will allow Books Inc. to sell more books, which has been the problem since it first opened its location there. Hopefully, the cafe will also come along with the move. It has been a very lovely place to enjoy coffee and sandwiches while working on laptops. It is also a great place to meet someone.

Happy that Books Inc is just moving and not closing. However, we love the cafe and that would be a huge loss for it to not be part of the new Books Inc or takeover another Castro Street location.

I find it frustrating that all these Palo Alto places are being duplicated in Mountain View (Creapevine, Oren's Hummus, Rocket Fizz, and now Paris Baguette) rather than having new options. But at least the first three brought something new to MV. Stop duplicating existing Castro Street cuisine/concepts (German pub,, Poke, build-a-bowl/box, bubble tea,Indian buffet, fancy patisserie, Mediterraneaan) What happened to variety is the spice of life? There is one Palo Alto restaurant type (they now have 5 vs 0 in MV) would love to see - a build-a-salad place open. They have Sprouts (#1 choice), Plutos, Tender Greens, SweetGreen, Lemonade.

I really hope that Caffe Romanza will move with Books Inc. It has been my go-to place to work on Castro St. for the past 6-7 years and all other places have weird table/chairs and slow Internet!

In the new store, how about swapping out the kitch sold in the store for some good coffee and pastries? Though I don't have data, I would think that bookstores that serve coffee will retain their customers shopping in the store longer, and customers will return to the bookstore more often.