Greg and Stephanie Phillips have relocated their Walls of Books store from Athens to a storefront at 1971 Hog Mountain Road, Suite 130, in Watkinsville, Ga., the Banner-Herald reported. Walls of Books is a franchise branch of Gottwals Books. Owner Shane Gottwals opened his first store in Warner Robins, Ga., and began franchising his business model about four years ago; there are 14 Walls of Books stores--in Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Louisiana and Kansas--either operating or on the way.
Greg Phillips "came to the book business after a career in restaurants.... But he is an avid reader, as is Stephanie, who teaches dental hygiene at Athens Technical College. In Warner Robins, he became friends with fellow business owner Gottwals," the Banner-Herald noted.
"We hit it off, as small business owners," said Phillips, who decided to enter the book business after moving to Athens three years ago. "I get more joy when people come and find a new author, or find a book they've been looking for, or a particular edition they've been looking for. That's what you enjoy the most.... The key customer for us is the reader who is on a budget."