Ted and Nicole Wheeler, owners of the mobile bookstore Dundee Book Company in Omaha, Neb., opened a permanent location in March at 4915 Underwood Ave. The store is located in a 1910-era house on a bustling street in the Dundee neighborhood, and features 10 times the amount of inventory than was previously offered.
For most of 2020, the mobile bookstore was inactive due to Covid-19 restrictions. Now, in a permanent location with outdoor space, the bookshop will look to host readings and events where people can engage while safely distanced outdoors. With a mid-May start date, the events are open to Dundee Book Company members and their guests.
"The neighborhood has been so welcoming and we enjoy seeing so many friends from the book cart days that can stop in regularly," said Ted Wheeler. "The support from everyone, new and old, has helped our first month go very well for us. Honestly, we didn't really know what to expect, opening a bookstore during a pandemic. The response has been almost overwhelming, and very heartening. We're so excited to find our place in the community and are excited for what the future will bring. That's no small thing these days."
The bookstore's expanded selection includes more titles in the Wheelers' focus areas: new and emerging authors, translated titles and under-the-radar classics. They are also using the extra space to increase the selection of titles in languages other than English. Generous poetry and local author sections reflect priorities within the store.
Dundee Book Company launched in 2017 as a "roving bookstore"--a book cart that popped-up around town to share the love of reading and well-crafted books. The Wheelers chose titles for each event in order to amplify the experience of the specific location where the cart popped up. Ted Wheeler is also the author of three books, including the novel Kings of Broken Things.