Library branch cafes temporarily close

The Poland and Austintown cafe operators are retiring.

SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR

YOUNGSTOWN — Chapters Cafes in the Poland and Austintown branch libraries will be closing temporarily at the end of business Dec. 23, says the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

Operators of the cafes, Thymely Events Inc., are retiring after serving library customers for the past seven years.

The cafes have brought the library system some $127,385 in revenue in their years of operation. The library owns the Chapters name, Janet Loew, communications and public relations director for the library, said in a press release.

Claudia Wheland and Lynn Porch of Thymely Events operate the cafes, for which the library system receives a percentage of cafe sales and catering revenue.

“The partnership that we have had with Thymely Events for the past seven years has been wonderful,” said Carlton A. Sears, library director. “Thymely Events took the initiative to introduce the concept of cafes into our libraries and made it a success. We’re now looking forward to taking it to the next level with new partners.”

Wheland and Porch said in a joint statement: “This has been the most rewarding experience in our lives. We have met so many wonderful people, both local and from around the world, visiting our libraries and cafes. Our memories are vast and our gratitude enormous.”

The library is currently reviewing proposals from businesses that are interested in operating cafes, both in Poland and Austintown, and also in the newest branches, East and Newport, which are expected to open early in 2009. It is hoped that new cafe operators will be in place early next year, library officials said.