Kreig and Amanda Durham, who opened Quill & Quest bookstore in December at 218 W. Main St. in downtown Farmington, N.Mex., are planning to host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration this spring with the Farmington Chamber of Commerce, the Tri-City Record reported.
"We want to make a bit of a party out of it," said Kreig Durham.
The Durhams decided to launch Quill & Quest because the town lacked a bookstore that sold new books. "We got tired of having to go up to Durango or down to Albuquerque to find one," Kreig Durham noted, adding that a focus on new books will set their shop apart from other stores in the area. "Amy's is a used bookstore, and they've spent years collecting thousands of used books, which is awesome. We're really focused more on new books, so that's a pretty big distinction between us."
The bookstore's name is inspired by the owners love for fantasy literature, with "Quill" representing the art of writing and "Quest" the adventure that comes with reading. "Their hope is that customers feel the same sense of adventure when they step into their store, making Quill & Quest a place to explore new worlds through books," the Tri-City Record wrote.
The bookstore will also feature a coffee area and a bakery, which was inspired by Amanda Durham's need for gluten-free and dairy-free options. "Amanda has put together a collection of recipes for gluten-free baked goods that actually taste good, and we wanted to bring that to the community," Kreig Durham said.
Community response thus far has been positive, he added: "People come in and say, 'Oh, it smells really good in here,' and I thought it was just the candles. But they actually mean the smell of books. It's been one of the most enjoyable parts--seeing people love what we've put our hearts into."
The Durhams hope Quill & Quest will become a community gathering space. "We want people to feel like this isn't just our thing; it's the community's thing," Kreig Durham noted. "We want to create a space for people to meet, enjoy good books, coffee, and art, and feel excited about reading.... Every book is a new adventure. We hope people walk in and feel that excitement."