Lately, San Carlos has had a lot of difficult issues to navigate. Measure U, budget deficits, synthetic turf, school boundary changes….take your pick. Fortunately, there are some very positive stories out there as well.
There are some businesses that come into San Carlos and just get it right from the start. The Reading Bug is one of those businesses. If the 5 star average rating on YELP doesn’t convince you, visit the store yourself. I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a parent in San Carlos with young kids that does not have have great things to say about it. San Carlos is about community. The faster a business is able to fully dive into and become a part of that community, the better off they will be.
The Reading Bug has something they call Bugbucks which is essentially a rewards program whereby customers can assign a predetermined percentage of their purchases to one of several local school libraries. They also have a constant stream of guest authors, story times, activities and special events. Further, the store is about as family-friendly as you will encounter. The staff is very welcoming and helpful and the store is set up in a fashion that is easy to navigate and appeals to kids.
The Reading Bug obviously faces steep competition from giants such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. However, Amazon and Barnes & Noble were built for the masses. The Reading Bug is built for San Carlos. They obviously understand the community and have focused their business plan around that exact issue.
The Reading Bug is located at 785 Laurel Street in downtown San Carlos. To be connected to The Reading Bug website please click here.
Comment
Thanks for featuring The Reading Bug, Bob! Our family loves The Reading Bug. We were sorry to see Storybook Lane close and I think The Reading Bug delivers in many more areas that Storybook Lane lacked. It is a great way to support a local business and they are a pleasure to do business with — kid-friendly store, rewards system, tons of fun activities, knowledgeable staff, easy exchange/returns, gift card issuance AND gift wrapping! Everyone wants a bargain but I will gladly pay a few extra dollars for a book to support my own community, to get excellent customer service and have a fun place to go with my kids.