The first book Evans Rora picked up in Rossland was Canadian Taxes for Dummies at Café Books West.
One year later, the Bucharest, Romania, native stepped back into Café Books West, having absorbed the basic lessons of Canadian tax law, and assumed ownership of the establishment.
It wasn't a purely financial move, said Rora on Tuesday at the start of his second week of tenure at the bookstore's helm, but one of convenience and some necessity.
When he was in the city one year ago visiting his 15-year-old daughter Arina—who was enrolled in Red Mountain Academies for skiing at Rossland Secondary School (RSS)—he loved the community and was encouraged by how his daughter was doing at RSS. He felt in order for her to continue her career as a ski racer, Rossland was the place to be.
Prior to coming to Rossland, Evans had searched the world for an appropriate ski academy for his daughter, one with a home stay component, a good school and was a safe place to live.
And that spelled Rossland.
“But at the end of the season we saw that she needed us as the parents here,” he said, “She needed our support.”
When Café Books West came up for sale a few weeks ago Evans had already researched Rossland's demographics and the economy, as well as the business climate of Rossland and the country as a whole.
“So we thought, 'Why not try to do something different?'” he said.
Evans decided to buy the business, move his family, and come to Rossland rather than have Arina go back to Romania. Just over one month ago the former flooring wholesaler—who graduated university as a lawyer—purchased the former business he landed in one year ago as a customer.
Changes now will be coming but it won't be for a while, he said. They intend to feel out the community and gather some input on what people might want to see in the café.
“Our intention is to stay in harmony, to live in harmony,” he said. “We love it as it is now. But we will make some improvements to the menu (in time).”
They also plan on incorporating more events into the backyard and intend to open Sunday this summer.
Café Books West will still be hosting its monthly book club the last Friday of each month. The next one is May 24, 6 p.m.
It also will bring back the Games Night once per month on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (date TBA).
Book readings and author signings will also still be a part of the café's culture.
And every Monday night, 5-6 p.m., is Café Espanol, where only Spanish is spoken.
You can check them out at www.cafebookswest.ca