Richard Tomasello, owner of the two Well Red locations and more recently, The Fox coffee shop, reflected on the success of the businesses he shares with his wife, Crystal.
The original concept for their business came from Tomasello's desire to own his own bookstore. Although he always loved independent bookstores, Tomasello was initially concerned about competing against bigger names such as Amazon and Books-A-Million.
Finding the approach that allowed coffee and pastries to be the bulk of the sales and the books to be the bonus was the goal. However, things turned out even better, as books turned out to be a strong contributor.
"We sell a lot more books than I ever would've imagined and it's really nice," Tomasello said.
Being a bookstore owner, Tomasello shared that his favorite series is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. However, the book he recommends to others is, "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension" by Hanif Abdurraqib.
Running several different hospitality businesses, Tomasello admitted to originally being unsure about entering the coffee industry. During Well Red’s early days, Tomasello worked with Maddie Corbeau, former owner of the Coffee Cat. As a contractor, Tomasello brought Corbeau on as a consultant to help navigate the unfamiliar landscape.
The top complaint Tomasello receives at Well Red was the lack of seating and parking. The Fox location was created in hopes of relieving part of that issue. An upgraded kitchen for the baked goods is another aspect of the new location that received an upgrade. With some renovations, The Fox opened on April 22, 2024.
With several aspects of the job to keep him busy, Tomasello shared the highlight of what he does.
"The community and the people that we get to meet and see on a daily basis. We see a lot of the same people and it's a lot of fun interacting with and talking books with those people," Tomasello said.
The amount of interaction he receives on social media still amazes him, as he looks back to where he first began and sees where he is now.
Continuing into the new year, Tomasello hopes to host more author events. Since the first Well Red location opened in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions prevented such gatherings. Now, he plans to hold many more events to engage the community.
Although there are no plans for a new location, Tomasello said ideas for new menu items are constantly flowing.
"We have a great group of bakers, baristas and managers that are constantly thinking of new things. Whether it's syrups or seasonal lattes, they do a great job of keeping all that stuff fresh. With the newer kitchen that we have, at the new location, we've got that ability to do more items like that," Tomasello said.
Making it his mission to provide great customer service and hospitality, Tomasello stressed that taking a genuine interest in people is what sets them apart from other businesses.
"Our focus has always been on our business and not really worried about what other businesses are doing. We always thought if we're taking care of our customers, that should always be our focus," Tomasello said.
Leaving a lasting piece of advice to those who seek to start a business in Auburn, Tomasello offered encouragement.
"It's a great place to start a business. The city does a great job of helping promote and caring about businesses. On top of that you've got a great community that will support small businesses if you're doing things the right way and taking care of people," Tomasello said.
As Tomasello looks to the future, his focus remains on fostering a welcoming space where the community can connect over books and coffee.
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