July 7, 2023, 11:59am
Yu and Me Books opened in December 2021 on Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and was named for owner Lucy Yu’s mother. It was the first Asian-American woman-owned bookstore on the island. Following a July 4, 2023, fire in a neighboring residential unit, the store has lost most of its inventory and equipment and needs your help.
A GoFundMe page had raised almost $250,000 as of Friday morning, July 7, to support Yu as she faces a year-long closure and likely months-long delay for insurance funding. “Facing closure for an entire year is catastrophic for a small business,” says the GoFundMe appeal.
Yu and Me is a beloved indie store (you can read Katie Yee’s delightful account of its opening here), and its closure will be a true loss for locals, for staff, and for those who make the trek to enjoy Yu’s selections.
You can also support the store through its Bookshop page, yuandmebooks. Let’s help them!