Hedengren’s bookstore can be moved to the Sturehof restaurant

On the day: bookstore.

In the evening: dining room for diners who want to dine on seafood between non-fiction and fiction.

Is there a risk that the books will smell like lobster cream in the morning?

– Would that be a risk?

PG Nilsson, the restaurateur behind Sturehof, among others, laughs.

– The kitchen is well insulated, so the possibility seems minimal.

Nicklas Björkholm, owner of Hedengrens, tells DN:

– A book spilled with sauce is a sold book.

According to PG Nilsson, he and Hedengrens agree. The Stureplan facility, which could house the Hedengrens of the future, is located next to the current Sturehof dining room. It is being renovated right now. Construction will be completed in 2022, says PG Nilsson.

The reason is economic: Hedengrens and Sturehof would share the rent of the room. But for Nilsson, a bookseller restorer with close ties to many writers, actors and artists, the shared room would also manifest the “connection” between culture and pub life.

– That connection is found in all restaurants, not just ours, says Nilsson.

Hedengrens and Sturehof have been at their current addresses in Stureplan since 1897. Due to extensive Sturegallerian reconstruction, Hedengrens will be forced to move.

Nicklas Björkholm bookstore says the shared room is “a fun idea.” Even if you don’t know when it will take place.

– What happens in our bookstore at night does not really matter to our customers, says about sharing space with a restaurant.

– Books should not be in the kitchen. They must have good ventilation, says Björkholm.

Is it a sustainable business model for a bookstore to become a tavern at night?

– Not bad in any case. It can be fun. And I suppose the room will be very nice. A bit like Hatchards (bookstore) in London.

The room that would house Hedengrens is about 300 square meters plus the kitchen: four, five rooms that turn into “private dining rooms” at night, in PG Nilsson’s vision. Hedengrens would be upstairs, but “advertised” at street level, where the Stockholm food market (Sturehofs deli) will be located.

– The book tables, where the best-selling titles are located, will be dining tables at night, says Nilsson. We put a plate on the tables when we set the table. It will be very nice. And in addition to the books being a nice interior, there is also the opportunity to serve coffee and a glass of wine during the day, which would elevate the bookstore.

Hedengren’s financial problems have worsened during the pandemic. Sales have been cut in half. In autumn, Hedengrens received SEK 400,000 in cultural grants from the Swedish Arts Council, which covered eight percent of sales losses, according to Nicklas Björkholm.

In October, the owner terminated the contract with Hedengrens, as part of the Sturegallerian remodel, led by the property owner Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

From April 1, Hedengrens will be temporarily housed at Grev Turegatan 13, in the Sturegallerian rear carriage. Hedengrens can stay there for three years and nine months. That room is about half the size of the current bookstore (although the walls are higher in Grev Turegatan 13 than in the current store).

This year’s book sale will be the last in the classic Hedengren direction. When the store reported the unintended movement Tuesday afternoon, regulars and book publishers lamented the news. PG Nilsson believes that the vision of a Hedengrens located in Sturehof may already stimulate book buyers.

Isn’t there a risk that books will be reduced to accessories for directors who want to lubricate clutter in a sophisticated restaurant environment?

– That risk seems as small as if the books smell like lobster cream in the morning, says PG Nilsson. I think a bookseller feels good selling books. And this would enhance Hedengren’s ability to do just that.

Also read: Hedengrens is forced to move

–