Sisters Kara Trinler and Emma Crouchen, two of the three new owners of Big Red Books; photo by Ellyn Hament
If you loved Big Red Books on Main Street in Nyack and were sad when founder Richie Fulco closed the store, take heart. The torch has been passed to a family of three sisters — Kara Trinler, Nicole Trinler, and Emma Crouchen — who, in early September, bought the store and opened a new edition of it. Their vision: to build on Big Red’s legacy, and to honor and enhance the Nyack community they love.
From Fans to Family Owners
Kara, Nicole, and Emma, who all live locally, were big fans and regular customers of the former Big Red Books. They’ve never owned a bookstore before (Richie hadn’t either), but when they saw that Big Red was for sale, they thought: Why not? The whole family loves reading and books and along with lots of others in the community, they loved the store and wanted to see it continue.
“We believe that it’s very important to have community spaces like this dedicated to reading, a place for kids to go, especially today when people aren’t reading as much anymore and there’s AI. A bookstore like this feels more important than ever. We’re raising our kids here and we want the community to be as special a place as possible, and we hope to contribute to that,” Emma noted.
The new Big Red is run collectively by all three sisters, who also have other jobs. Kara’s a hair colorist, Nicole is a program manager at an animal hospital, and Emma is the vice president of marketing for Vice Media. All three also have young kids. Because of these commitments, they generally staff the store on different days or times, but sometimes together and with other family members, who contribute everything from time to design expertise to curating and recommending titles for the store’s book collection.
The Same Only Different
Less than a month into owning the store, they’re still getting their footing, but the goal is to follow Richie’s Big Red story, and add to it. In time, they plan to bring back author readings, book clubs, and other community events. They’ve submitted a permit to further build out the area behind the store, hoping to have a more finished outdoor space for hosting the events.
They intend to have locally made items for sale, too. And they hope to collaborate with community organizations and other businesses to elevate their stores and work collectively. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” Emma noted, quoting an old saying.
There’s another change coming, too: They plan to open a small coffee bar inside the store and have already submitted the permits.
“First and foremost, this is a bookstore. We don’t want it to be a cafe with books. We’re not trying to compete with any of the great coffee places in Nyack. We’re just trying to diversify as a brick-and-mortar bookstore and bring people into the store,” Emma said. To that end, they’re also selling a few nonbook products. And they hope to carry some items made locally by artists.
Curating the Collection
What’s on the shelves? In addition to mainstream books, they’re building an eclectic collection. Kara is the main curator alongside the extended family. She and others love to recommend books that have meant a lot to them, including “Road to Tender Hearts,” one of Kara’s favorites. Their dad is a fan of serious nonfiction and enjoys sitting in the store and talking to customers about books and ideas. Emma’s wife loves fantasy and recommends books in the genre. And their kids and customers contribute ideas, too. But one part of the collection is particularly close to Kara’s heart.
She has a son with autism and is passionate about carrying children’s and adult’s books that focus on neurodivergence to bring awareness to the community. She wants to create a safe space for the neurodivergent community with Big Red Books.
“I know what it’s like to bring my son into a store and think: Is this a good day or a bad day for him? I want everyone to know that the store is open to you to bring your neurodivergent kids and know it’s a safe and happy place for them,” Kara noted.
Wait, Where’s the Big Red Couch?
One iconic part of the store isn’t just changing, it’s gone — sort of. The big red couch that used to sit mid-store isn’t there anymore.
“It was part of Richie’s story. It was important to him, but it’s not our story. Still, paying tribute to Richie is very important to us,” Emma added.
If you look carefully above the counter, you’ll see there’s still a red couch, only now it’s very small and has three little toy mice on it, a tiny homage to what came before as Emma, Kara, Nicole, and family write the new story of Big Red Books.