In-store cafés have become an integral part of bookstores, offering shoppers an oasis in which to linger over reading material. Last year, upscale chain Wegmans took the concept a step further by including a full-service restaurant in its new Providence Town Center. “Stumbling onto an authentically styled Irish pub in a place where you can purchase mayonnaise and light bulbs is not as crazy a concept as it seems,” said Wegmans’ Pennsylvania regional manager Kathy Haines. “Historically, Irish pubs were like meeting houses that sold grocery items for the pantry, and they were also a place to sit at a counter and have a conversation with your neighbor.” When shoppers and diners alike turned out in record numbers, other retailers quickly lined up to follow Wegmans’ lead. Variations on the expanding concept include restaurants with full-service liquor licenses setting up shop inside multiplex theaters.
