Owners of Raptis Rare Books look to diversify holdings on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach

Matthew and Adrienne Raptis have big plans for the five commercial condominium units they purchased last year in the seven-unit Via Roma Building on Palm Beach's Worth Avenue.

Raptis Rare Books, an antiquarian bookstore that opened in 2016 at another Worth Avenue location, moved into two of the units last November. Two other spaces will hold a cigar bar and a takeout café, while a wine store is  planned for the fifth spot.

The Raptises purchased the five units at 329 Worth Ave. for $4.5 million last year from longtime Worth Avenue jeweler Stuart Doppelt of H.T. Stuart & Co.

The combined units measure 3,200 square feet.

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Raptis Rare Books occupies unit 2, Churchill Cigar Company is in unit 6, Via Roma Café is unit 5, and an unnamed wine store could occupy unit 4.

Churchill Cigar Co. is expected to open in December, while Via Roma Café will open next year, Adrienne Raptis said. Via Roma Cellars is in the early stages of development.

"The cigar store and café will be a nice complement to the bookstore," she said. "The wine shop is our most recent idea of what we want to do with the other space. There's not much construction that has to be done with it, at least for right now. We're just going to put in some basic shelves and wine coolers."

The remaining two units in the Via Roma Building are occupied by jewelers Mariko Palm Beach, which is in unit 3, and L'Etoile Royale, which is in unit 1.

The Via Roma Building was the perfect fit for the Raptis's many business ventures, Adrienne Raptis said.

She and Matthew opened Raptis Rare Books five years ago at 226 Worth Ave., and the business, which offers thousands of mostly first-edition books covering a variety of topics including classic and children’s literature, science, history and biography, was thriving there, she said.

But as their five-year lease was coming to an end, the couple decided to purchase the Via Roma units in an effort to expand their book business and venture into new ones.

"The opportunity came to purchase the five units," Adrienne Raptis said. "We loved the high ceilings and the fact that it's ours. It just feels more permanent. We were kind of outgrowing our other space. The opportunity came up, and we snatched that up."

Raptis Rare Books specializes in fine first editions, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Customers can buy and sell in-store and online, and they also can get help building a library, whether it’s filled with traditional novels or special interests.

Items for sale include a 16-page letter written in 1809 by President John Adams, a pair of spectacles once worn by President George Washington, and a bound collection of presidential autographs from 1783-1956.

For those wanting to protect the books they purchase, Raptis Rare Books offers traditional bookbinding services through Massachusetts-based Harcourt Bindery.

Earlier this year, Raptises purchased the century-old business as part of their commitment to safeguard the tradition of book preservation.

Established in 1900, Harcourt Bindery is one of the few remaining large-scale hand binderies in the country. Its clients include libraries and book dealers, collectors, and individuals who want special bindings for themselves or for gifts and presentations.

"We couldn't let that tradition die," Adrienne Raptis said of the business, which will remain in Massachusetts. "It's also a very nice complement to our business and what we already do. We're able to offer these services to people. Raptis Rare Books is all about preservation. We're preserving a legacy of these traditional methods. In our modern society, everything is fast, instant and online. We just want to preserve tradition."

The Raptises marked the one-year anniversary of their new bookstore location this month, and they look forward to continuing to help their customers discover the world of book collecting.

"In such a fast-paced world, our aim is to offer people a slower and world-class experience," Matthew Raptis said. "Stop and browse and remember the books that shaped your life. Our passion, expertise, and attentive customer service guide our customers on a remarkable journey with a rich history and tradition."

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Owners of Raptis Rare Books in Palm Beach look to diversify holdings