A late-night fire Sunday in Old Town Alexandria devastated Madame Coco: Emporium and Everything Chocolate, forcing it and the new Friends to Lovers bookstore to close.
While Madame Coco is fairly new to Saint Asaph Street, having opened in May, Friends to Lovers just had its grand opening three days ago.
The smoke damage from the blaze destroyed much of the bookstore’s inventory and has halted operations indefinitely, with owner Jamie Fortin confirming that the store at 103 Saint Asaph St. will not reopen for the remainder of the year and possibly beyond.
While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, Fortin remains committed to rebuilding the community space, which specializes in historical romance, small-town love stories, and “romantasy.”
“We’re working tirelessly to bring Friends to Lovers back to life because this community means the world to us,” Fortin shared in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Fortin’s vision for a judgment-free zone where women and LGBTQ+ readers could connect over their love of romance literature quickly attracted a devoted following.
To support the recovery, Friends to Lovers has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help restore its inventory and secure a new space in Alexandria. The campaign, which has already raised over $3,000 toward its $20,000 goal, will also fund future pop-up events and online shopping opportunities to keep the community engaged during the recovery process.
Fortin assured patrons that the bookstore would continue to stay connected through social media updates, with plans to bring Friends to Lovers back as soon as possible.
Feature image courtesy Jamie Fortin
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