External appearance: Large red letters outlined in white above broad brick storefront.

Window display: To the left, two brown teddy bears leaned against both sides of a single Digital Praise dance pad box. In the window were a neon “open” sign and a blue Webkinz poster and shelftalker. Two signs read, “free Wi-Fi” and “Internet Café.” Windows to the right listed store hours, and had logos for credit cards and Seattle’s Best Coffee, which was sold inside.

Entrance: One door was marked “entrance” and another “exit,” in large letters. A VeggieTales poster was on each door.

On the glass windows in the airlock were 12 posters, including one dated for the VeggieTales release five months earlier, plus current Christian events.

Layout and inventory: Straight ahead, “40-70% off clearance books” next to a table with Kerusso sale products. To the right, a T-shirt rounder with a yellow clearance sign above the rack. Clearance tees were on wood hangers. A white board showed the schedule for evening church small groups and book discussion groups.

An inviting seating area was next, followed by large units of used books, grouped by fiction and nonfiction. In the right back corner, there was a roomy cafe with two round tables with four chairs and four round tables each with two chairs. Behind the counter was a dorm-size refrigerator and Bunn coffee maker. Food and beverage prices listed on the wall included small, prepackaged biscotti for 50 cents, appropriate pricing for college students. Three individual serving size fruit cups looked lonely as the only offering in an acrylic display case.

At store back, a large sign read “to restroom,” and there was an almost-empty, very large VeggieTales floor display. Around the corner were five robes on a Murphy rack followed by church supplies and Christian education materials. The back of the Christian ed display was a blackboard that served as an activity point for the adjacent children’s area.

The children’s area, with a nice play kitchen, had Noah’s ark figures and construction blocks scattered all over.

A large stage was located next to the Digital Praise dance pad on the floor. This was adjacent to the myMEDIA BurnBar, which was, according to the store’s Web site, the only one in the county. Music and videos included some titles for general viewing, like The Polar Express.

Cards and gifts were at store left in the front, with product usually nicely displayed on the top shelves. Bottom shelves on each kiosk or table were empty. Books, Bibles and Bible covers were at store center. Throughout the store, as in this section, books were shown face-front. There was a large checkout area near store center.

Appearance: Extremely spacious, but with empty shelves or half-stocked displays.

Staff: One man at the front register. Although we walked right past him, we were not greeted. During our visit, one customer went to him for help. He left the register to assist, but the product was not in stock.

Verdict: My companion loved the wide-open feeling and the comfortable seating options, but to me, inventory looked like it was spread out to make the store appear more fully stocked.

Move tween titles nearer the teen section. Consider using music posters as backdrops for the stage.

If this were your regular store? I would need more frontlist titles.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Yes. The peaceful atmosphere created by the maroon walls and multiple seating options made the store feel like a large library reading room.

What will you remember of your visit a week from now? With the free Wi-Fi, cafe and digital music download technology, this store—which opened in May 2007—attempts to meet the needs of college students and local churches. But like the Web site, which includes pages with directions to “insert product here,” the store has only just begun.

THE STORE OWNER RESPONDS: Citing “tough times,” the store closed in late summer.

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