Books & Barrels, a bookstore and wine bar, will open later this spring in Longview, Tex. The 2,500-square-foot store will sell general-interest titles for all ages, and will feature a bar offering local wines and draft beer from a local brewery.
"I always thought it would be neat to open a bookstore, especially since we don't have many places to buy books in our city," said Laura Nevils, one of the store's three co-owners. She'll be opening the store in partnership with her husband, Chad Nevils, and mother Joanna Burrows.
"We've always been avid readers and I want to share that with others," Nevils continued. "Wine wasn't always a part of the plan, but it didn't take long. We have a lot of friends that enjoy wine, so we thought it was a great idea."
While none of the three partners has experience in bookselling, Laura Nevils has a business background, Chad Nevils had a career in oil and gas, and Burrows has a background in medicine. Nevils said she's always had a dream to open a bookstore, and her husband has been supportive. She added: "I thought it would be nice to include my mother because we do so much together already."
When asked how she decided that now was the right time to open an independent bookstore, Nevils answered that "we didn't really decide," and that things simply began falling into place much faster than any of them had planned.
In addition to the wine bar, the store will also feature a children's corner where kids can hang out. On the subject of events, Nevils reported that she's already been in contact with the East Texas Writers Association about doing book signings with local authors. Eventually she hopes to bring in more widely known authors, and she and her local library have discussed doing some adult programming in the future. The library will also install a little free library at the bookstore's building.
"The community has been very positive," said Nevils. "So many people are very excited for something like this to be put in our downtown area."