Hey Darling Bookstore, focusing on romance titles, has opened at 213 Main St N. in Austin, Minn. The Daily Herald reported that the shop made its debut in October "after a whirlwind run that started in August of this year. Demolition started in September and just a month later they were open with a soft opening."
"This is something the romance readers have desperately wanted. I'm really glad we can do it here," said owner Trish Marin. "It was a quick process. It wasn't something I was for sure planning on doing. The space fell into my lap. This is the universe telling me I have to do it myself."
Hey Darling's aim is to be "an area hub for people to find a variety of stories within the pages of books on her shelves," the Daily Herald noted, adding that the bookstore's space "is wide open and homey, inviting people in to browse the offerings on her shelves. It was important for her when conceiving of what Hey Darling would become that it would be a welcoming establishment without tightly cluttered spaces."
"I wanted something that's going to pull a customer to it and give them a sense of lingering," Marin said. "I just wanted it to feel like you weren't standing on top of each other."
As part of her goal to create community, she is hosting a book club, noting: "We usually pick a book and have a month to read it, and we all just meet and chat about the book. The turnout has been awesome."
Marin said she hopes that Hey Darling will feel personal to those who enter because it reflects her own long history of loving to read: "I want (customers) to know they can come in and talk to me," Marin said. "I want it to feel personal. That's why I made it really pretty and nice to look at. Every inch of my store has a piece of me in it.... I've been doing this long enough, I can do it myself," she said. "I feel like people have been super supportive and helpful and they want nothing but the best for our community to grow."