The bookstore formerly known as Davis-Kidd has a new moniker. "We made the decision late yesterday [May 10th]," says marketing rep Carley Cianciolo. Henceforth the popular business and cultural center will be called The Booksellers at Laurelwood.
Neil Van Uum, whose now-bankrupt Joseph-Beth Booksellers chain bought the store in 1997, negotiated a deal to buy it back from a large national liquidator who'd purchased at auction two weeks ago. But because the Davis-Kidd name rights were purchased by Booksellers Enterprises (the buyer of three other Joseph-Beth stores), Van Uum had to select another name.
The new name is a fine fit, considering the store has been at Laurelwood Shopping Center since the mid-1980s — and also because Van Uum praised Laurelwood's president and owner, Tom Prewitt, for his support through the difficult days of bankruptcy and auction.
Cianciolo says, "The Davis-Kidd name has already been removed from our sign and we hope very soon to have new signage in place." She admits that seeing the long-familiar name disappear from the sign made her sad. "But we're here, that's what matters," she says, then adds with a laugh, "We're trying to remember to answer the phone with the new name!"
Asked if anything else would change about the beloved East Memphis bookstore and gathering place, she says, "Not a thing, just the signage."
