Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
I just went on a walk around the East Village and stumbled upon a small cookbook shop selling out-of-print and antiquated cookbooks.
After entering the store I saw an older woman helping out a few of the customers. I waited a few minutes before the other customers left and then started to chat with the woman.
She told me she's owned it since 1997. She said she used to love collecting old cookbooks and started to sell them. Eventually, she found a storefront and set up shop. Her first storefront was featured in the New York Times and shortly after received a lot more business which upset the landlord so he kicked her out. A similar thing happened to her second place. A couple who owned a small basement spot heard about her and offered their place to her. She just celebrated her 10th anniversary in this East Village location and says her landlords are amazing people.
She told me she works 10-hour days. It's just her. The note on her business card says she's, "Open 1-6pm most days and by appointment".
She still kept track of every transaction in an invoice book. Nothing on the computer. She told me she's never going to retire. She said, "They'll have to carry me out of here".
After purchasing a book and saying thank you, I told her it was nice to meet you and I'll be back. She replied, "Thank you for listening to me"
It made my day.
It's a lesson to always chat with people you encounter. You never know who you're going to meet or what you'll learn from them. They'll probably enjoy your company too.