Less than three years after opening in Decatur, Ga., Little Shop of Stories will soon be on the move. Books won't have to be toted far, though. The store's new home is across the town square. "We've been feeling a need to grow over the course of the last year and a half," said co-owner Diane Capriola. "It was just a matter of figuring out when it would happen and finding the right place."
Little Shop of Stories' new location is on a busier side of Decatur Square, one with more shops and restaurants, and is next door to Starbucks. "Right now people have to know we're here," said Capriola. "Not many people just happen upon us, and the move will really change that." The shop front was previously a real estate office and in the early 1990s housed Final Touch Bookstore. "In a sense," Capriola remarked, "the space is returning to its literary roots."
At 3,300 square feet, the new space is double the size of the current location. Along with more games, toys and other sideline items, the new Little Shop of Stories will house an expanded picture books section. "Right now they're tucked away in a corner, and it's hard to browse that area," Capriola said. Instead they'll be prominently featured on a wall close to the entrance with many titles displayed face-out. Also in the works is a children's nonfiction section. "We get a lot of kids coming in who want to read nonfiction," Capriola said, "and so we're going to grow that area of the store."
Little Shop of Stories is the second Decatur bookstore to announce a move this month: Wordsmiths Books is relocating to a building on Decatur Square (Shelf Awareness, March 3, 2008) next week. The Atlanta suburb "has become a literary hub for the city," noted Capriola, and a highlight is the annual Decatur Book Festival. Now in its third year, the extravaganza is held Labor Day weekend and attracts some 60,000 attendees.
Decatur is "a phenomenal community of people who support local business," said Capriola. And they will be included in Little Shop of Stories' relocation. After the bulk of merchandise has been moved, grown-ups and kids (with their wagons in tow) will then be invited to assist in "a very ceremonial way," including a parade across Decatur Square, Capriola said.
Capriola anticipates closing for two or three days at the end of the month and is aiming to have shelves at the new shop re-stocked by April 1--just in time to make use of a spacious mezzanine that will serve as an events area. "We haven't had the room to pull in big crowds when we have an author," she said. "Now we'll have this ready-made event space." It's a good thing. On April 3, Little Shop of Stories is hosting Caldecott Honor-winner Mo Willems.--Shannon McKenna Schmidt
The store's new address is 133 East Court Square, Decatur, Ga. 30030; 404-373-6300; littleshopofstories.com.