Life & Work with Rachel May of Rochester

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel May

Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Elliott, my husband, has always wanted to open a sandwich shop. We met at Ruby Tuesdays serving when we were in college, and I still remember him telling me about his hopes of owning his own sandwich shop during one of our shifts together.

When we were figuring out his sandwich shop, the bookstore sandwich shop combo idea came up, (I’ve always loved books and dreamed of opening a tiny bookstore) and Elliott was fully supportive and loved the concept. Things started falling into place from there, and once we had our space secured, we went all in.

We kept a list of different dreams for the space and it’s been fun to add the elements over time. From “living room space,” which was part of the original design, to book clubs, which we started in February. Every month, we work in a bit more of our dream, while also adding more future goals for the shop. We’re now working on adding a bike rack by the back door to Novel!

The past 4 months of being open has been a whirlwind. We’ve enjoyed being part of the downtown Rochester scene so much and love that we get to share our passions of books and sandwiches with our community.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Since we’ve opened, it’s been a lot easier. But getting there took time.

The space we are in was a retail-only space, so we spent months creating plans and working with architects, electricians, and plumbers to figure out the plan for Novel. We got the space in March of 2024 and I remember thinking we’d open in July (we opened in November).

I had no idea what went into planning out a kitchen space and how many decisions had to be made early in the process that I wasn’t ready for. Like the exact model of coffee machine we’d have so that electrical could be set up, along with where we wanted it on the counter, to ensure that the plug was in the right spot.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Novel is a cozy place to slow down and relax with a good read and hand-crafted sandwich. Some guests come in to browse the books, others head right to the counter to order their favorite sandwich or a piece of pie, and many enjoy both the books and the sandwiches. We’re proud be a “third space” in our community, bringing people together over food and books – two of our favorite things.

While small, Novel features a curated selection of books from a variety of genres, including board books for the youngest readers, new releases, and best-sellers from over the years. I, Rachel, hand-select every book for the shelves based on my reading of it or reviews from friends, family, and other booksellers.

Each of our sandwiches is made fresh and grilled in a panini press for the best taste. Novel sandwiches are made on CRUST bread from Fenton. While we’re often asked if our sauces are for sale or where they can be purchased, each sauce is Elliott’s fresh, in-house creation.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
We started after COVID-19.

Pricing:

• $13.99 Full Sandwich
• $7.99 Half Sandwich
• $3.99 Full Grilled Cheese

Contact Info:

• Website: https://novelrochester.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/novelrochester
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/novelrochester