Riverstone Books Moved to Pine Creek for the Room. Its November Calendar Shows How It Gets Used.
At the October 16 ribbon-cutting for Riverstone Books' new McCandless store, state Sen. Lindsey Williams told TribLive she had already visited three times. The new store is at 65 Blazier Drive in the Pine Creek Shopping Center, in the building that used to be Dover Saddlery. Owner Barbara Jeremiah stood next to the store's general manager and the founder of the coffee roaster now pouring in her café.
The store had already been open since August 25. The café followed on October 15. The ceremony marked the end of a move that Jeremiah, according to TribLive, made for two reasons: her lease at McCandless Crossing was ending, and she needed more space to host events. That second reason explains the new store. The extra square footage went to programs, and the November calendar shows the room booked on weekday mornings, weekday afternoons and weeknights.
Riverstone opened its first store at McCandless Crossing in 2017 and stayed nine years. It also runs a second shop on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill. After a search for a bigger space, someone suggested the former Dover Saddlery building. The equestrian retailer had closed its brick-and-mortar stores earlier in 2026. The building needed renovations before the books could go in.
The move added about 1,500 square feet, according to TribLive's October 20 report, and Jeremiah had already used it for author talks and book clubs by the time of the ribbon-cutting. Riverstone's own homepage describes the new store as having more space and its own café.
TribLive described a store split into zones:
The bookstore keeps long retail hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The 8 p.m. close gives the 7 p.m. events a full hour.
The café is new to Riverstone. The McCandless store is the first time the business has served coffee. The Greenhouse Cafe has a full espresso menu, drip coffee, teas and pastries.
Both suppliers are small and local. Mechanic Coffee Co. is based in Verona, and owner David Sutfin told TribLive it runs two retail shops, one in Verona and one in Shadyside. Its Verona café is at 707 E. Railroad Ave. The pastries come from One Sweet Cookie, a licensed, inspected home bakery that otherwise serves customers by appointment. In McCandless, the bookstore counter is a regular place to buy them. Pittsburgh City Paper included the opening in its October 27 food news roundup.
The café keeps its own hours, separate from the bookstore. Riverstone's contact page lists them before a morning visit.
Riverstone's November calendar shows how the extra space gets used. Mornings are for toddlers, Monday and Tuesday nights are for adult readers, and two book clubs meet at 2 p.m. on weekdays. Here is what's left at 65 Blazier Drive from Saturday, November 14, through Thanksgiving week:
Monday, November 23 is the clearest example of the room getting used all day. Two book clubs meet there five hours apart, one in the afternoon and one at night. Tuesday mornings alternate between yoga and music for the youngest readers.
According to Riverstone's events page, in-store events are free and open to the public. One condition applies at author nights: to get in the signing line, you need to buy the author's new book from Riverstone.
The calendar keeps going into December. Three McCandless book clubs are already scheduled:
The move put Riverstone on Blazier Drive alongside a grocery store, a big-box store and a sit-down restaurant:
So a Saturday Storytime at 9:30 a.m. can end in the cereal aisle by 10:15, and a Monday book club at 7 p.m. can start with dinner next door. Talking about the book business to TribLive, Jeremiah said, "We really see a lot of people don't want to be on their screens."
The store's calendar runs into the start of McCandless's holiday season. From Friday through Sunday, November 27 to 29, the McCandless Volunteer Fire Company is collecting toys for Toys for Tots at Target, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, according to the town calendar. A new picture book from the Saturday Storytime shelf would fit right into that donation bin.
The town's second annual Holiday Lights Contest opened November 2. To enter, email a photo of your display to [email protected] by Thursday, December 17. Voting is on the town's Facebook page on Saturday, December 19, and the winner gets a trophy. The town welcomes any kind of display, from full yard setups to a few candles in the windows.
Riverstone's calendar for both stores is at riverstonebookstore.com. The McCandless phone number is (412) 366-1001.
Blazier Drive now has a bookstore café, a Saturday storytime and weeknight book clubs on the same street as Target and Giant Eagle. If you live near it and want to know how changes like Riverstone's move show up in McCandless home values, Luz Campbell can walk you through it in English or Spanish. Request a Home Valuation & Consultation, and we'll start with your street.
Over my nearly two decades as a real estate agents, buyers and sellers have come to trust me as a knowledgeable professional to advise them on their real estate needs. They know they are getting unparalleled expertise and service in an ever-changing real estate landscape. I treat every home transaction as I would my own.
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