To the delight of residents of and visitors to Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romantica Lindsey Leyva and Gaby Gomez confirm that they will be reopening their popular cafe-bookstore concept later this year in the Olas Altas area.

To many Lindsey and Gaby were the heart and soul of the popular meeting place, working around the clock to provide Vallarta with the latest best sellers, literary classics, gourmet cakes, a variety of coffees in a friendly atmosphere.

A Page in the Sun (or "Page" as the company is affectionately referred to) was Puerto Vallarta's second and most iconic café-bookstore. On February 28 2011, the partners confirmed the rumors that had engulfed Mexico's second largest beach resort by taking down its menu board after nearly 2 decades.

The business established on Olas Altas in the early 90s, quickly became the cornerstone of the recently remodeled Zona Romantica and its closing was met with shock and disbelief by many. The owners, sisters Lindsey Leyva and Gabriela Gómez, and Joel Villaseñor, were quick to reassure friends and customers that the business would soon be reopening in the popular tourist area.

Addressing rumors while dismissing conspiracy theories, the partners confirmed that the business had simply become too small to sustain 3 families and that the recent renovation of Olas Altas and Basilio Badillo was one of many catalysts that precipitated the café's closing.

Puerto Vallarta, along with other tourist destinations in Mexico including Cancún, Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos have seen a decline in tourist numbers due to the continuing economic troubles in the US, the hype surrounding the swine flu in 2009 and the recent battle against the cartels along the border. Many local businesses across Vallarta including hotels, restaurants and bars have been struggling to keep their doors open in recent years.

The three partners had been discussing a potential parting of ways for several years in order to allow the each to pursue their own interests and experiment as each saw fit.

During the 2010 summer low season, Villaseñor, partner and financial administrator, began negotiations with the locale owners to try to put off the inevitable closure of the company. The owners of the property, 2 much respected business women, and Villaseñor began to draw up a plan to decide the location's fate.

An amicable but difficult decision was reached to not renew the lease agreement (which expired in March 2011) and shut down the business in January with final preparations to close Page begun in early February 2011. According to Lindsey, the former partners are still negotiating final details and expect to reach an amicable and equitable settlement within the following months.

"A Page in the Sun was a huge part of many people's lives in the Olas Altas community. Closing Page was one of the most challenging experiences we gone through as a family. We received a huge up swell of support and offers to picket the premises," laughs Lindsey in a relaxed manner.

"It was a very sweet gesture, but the decision to not renew the lease was a mutual decision reached after many open meetings between Joel and the landlords. The business, while popular, couldn't generate enough income to support 3 families... while the physical space limited our ability to expand or innovate. We also needed a change after almost 20 years. Our landlords were always been very supportive of our business for the nearly 2 decades."

The sisters had been long wanted to branch out and offer new services and expand the book section to include more Spanish language books and books and magazines in other languages including French, Dutch and German to cater to their varied and loyal clientele. However, the retail location that allowed the company to grow from a small shop with one espresso machine and a couple of shelves of dusty books had grown over the years to become the welcoming if cramped bookstore-café that was the buzz of Olas Altas.

Over the years, Page has been visited by millions of locals and visitors that made it a mandatory stop in their daily routine whether on vacation or en route to work. The sisters and the café have been witness to the many changes and events that have taken place over the years. The now packed Andale's was little more than a friendly, if tiny, watering hole and Le Bistro was the reigning champion of international cuisine in the city when the business began.

Gaby Gomez suggests that Page was as much a community center as a business. Page served the loyal local and expat residents and visitors in the area that make Olas Altas such a vibrant community overflowing with beach front hotels, upscale beach clubs, trendy cafés and restaurants and a plethora of martini bars and an increasing number of gay and lesbian businesses.

"Page's end was very difficult for all us, it was a shock to Gaby and me, as it was for our friends and customers who'd been coming daily for years. It's been difficult at times to move on and accept change," admits Lindsey Leyva, "but after the tears dried, we began taking stock of all the friendships Gaby and I have been incredibly lucky to nurture over the years, the achievements we had accomplished as a team and the ideas we have yet to try. Despite the recent challenges, Gaby and I are very excited by the opportunities ahead. To quote our mother: there's a dance in the old dame yet."

The sisters are confident they enjoy a loyal customer base, so are taking the time to explore many ideas that will be loyal to the original concept but allow the sisters to offer an enhanced product and service.

The books, that gave the business its name and much of its charm, have been put in storage as the sisters undertake preparations for Phase 2 of the café-bookstore. When asked what customers can expect of the revamped Page, Lindsey and Gaby hesitate before responding.

Gaby confirms the sisters have been working to refine the idea that was conceived by their mother 2 decades ago and breathe new life and energy into revolutionizing the concept. Customers have been very supportive and have helped the two brain storm ideas that include incorporating more Spanish-language books, live music, art exhibitions for budding artists and book clubs amongst a host of new offerings.

Customers, friends and neighboring businesses expressed joy when told of the planned re-launch of the café-book store later this autumn. As one loyal customer succinctly offered, "Because of Lindsey and Gaby, Page was more than a business; it was a place to make and meet friends that drew many visitors from across Banderas Bay to Olas Atlas. The community has not been the same since they closed their doors."

For more information on the upcoming re-launch of A Page in the Sun, write to Lindsey Leyva at lindseyinpv(at)hotmail.com, Gaby Gómez at gogaviota(at)hotmail.com or look for A Page in the Sun on Facebook.

Daniel Gomez is a brand strategist and partner at Mijo! Brands. Based in Puerto Vallarta, Mijo! Brands is a strategic brand design agency servicing clients across North America and Europe to create breakthrough brand communicatiuon solutions. To learn more about Mijo! Brand Strategy Design, click HERE, call (322) 223-2837 or visit MijoBrands.com.

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