Black Cat Books & Oddities, with a family-friendly "eccentric Victorian vibe," officially opened yesterday in the historic South Town district of Medina, Ohio, near Cleveland. The owners are Max Frazier and Alicia Hoisington Frazier, who live in Medina with their two children.
"We lovingly restored this house on South Court Street, originally built in 1927. This is the first time the house has been open to the public as a retail location," Max Frazier said. "We're also excited about our selection from local authors, who have a special place here at Black Cat. We're happy to support these budding talents, and we invite the community to support them, too!"
"We hope our guests will notice the little details, as they all come from two people who truly enjoy a good work of literature," Alicia Hoisington Frazier said. "I grew up in Medina, and I'm happy we are able to invest in a community that I truly feel has invested so much in me. We look forward to partnering with area businesses and the community to help grow the South Town area of the city."
The store features six rooms with their own themes, including the Raven's Roost, "Edgar Allan Poe's lair," which "lovers of thrillers will scream for"; the Cabinet of Curiosities, for "fantasy lovers," and includes "quirky cookbooks, witchy worlds, true crime, and more"; the Literary Common, featuring YA, BookTok, and new releases; Sherlock's Study, with classic mystery titles; Phantom's Passage, geared to 8-12-year-olds; and the Secret Garden, where a "flower-laden doorway" leads to "a world built just for the littlest of readers."
Black Cat offers "mystery" books--wrapped titles, with genre indicated, that include prizes such as bookmarks, stickers, and gift cards. The store also sells gifts, records, apparel, and more.
Opening day went well. Last night, the store posted on Facebook, "Medina! You all really showed UP today! Thank you all for the support, from the bottom of our hearts. We didn't anticipate our little shop would be as packed today as it was. We sincerely thank you all for being patient with us and our employees as we worked through it. We love you all!
"Also, THANK YOU for supporting our local authors. We were so excited that many of their titles flew off the shelves today AND SOLD OUT. This truly is the best community!
"We'll be back open on Tuesday 11-7 with replenished shelves!"