Road Less Traveled Books opened earlier this month at 33300 Thomas St. in downtown Farmington, Mich. Hometown Life reported that the new bookshop "has shelves stocked with books for every kind of reader alongside classic games, toys, puzzles and other novelties."
"I really want this to be a place where people feel like they can sit down and stay for a while," said owner Chuck Allore. "I love books, and I love keeping busy. My plan has always been to retire in a nice place that didn't have a bookstore. Farmington was perfect."
Allore and his team have been renovating the space, located in a former office building, for about two years. He said he hopes the store becomes a "third place," and it will have plenty of space to sit and read, as well as enjoy cups of Ground Control Coffee Roasters coffee.
He also noted that he especially thinks his stock of puzzles and classic games will give people an excuse to spend time with loved ones. "The games are nostalgic," he said. "It was important to me to get those classic games like Scrabble and Monopoly. I hope people get off their screens and use these for family game night."
Allore previously owned a bookstore in Brighton that closed in 2004. Entering retirement, he expects revisiting the reading industry will be a fun way to stay busy, adding that Farmington is the perfect place for an independent bookseller.