When Trader Joe’s closed its Decatur Boulevard location several weeks back, it didn’t just deprive central Vegas of quirky snack foods. Its former neighbor, used bookshop Amber Unicorn (amberunicornbooks.com), lost much of its walk-in traffic—“a good 20 percent hit that could go as high as 25 or 30,” says Lou Donato, who co-owns the shop—beloved locally for its selection of cookbooks—with wife Myrna.
A storewide 25 percent-off sale, promoted through Facebook, has been “a godsend,” Donato says, but the situation remains dire. “All we want to do is find out what’s going on” in terms of a new anchor tenant for the former TJ’s space, Donato says. “Until we know that, we’re in limbo.” Might be a good idea to visit Amber Unicorn soon, buy some cookbooks and make your own TJ’s-style snacks.