Invitation Bookshop, Gig Harbor, Wash., will move from its Olympic Drive location to a downtown space at 3119 Judson St. The News Tribune reported that owner Allyson Howard described the current store as "a little off the beaten path," in an area that doesn't get significant foot traffic.
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| Invitation Bookshop's new home | |
"The waterfront really is the historic and community heart of Gig Harbor," she noted. "And when you look at the role of bookstores in communities... so much of what we do and so much of our mission as a bookstore is tied to community."
She and her husband, Jason Howard, opened the bookshop in 2020, naming it after the first poem in Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. She said "invitation" is the way she views the relationship between book and reader.
The space on Judson Street became available after a national boating supply company closed its Gig Harbor location, according to Howard, who noted that customers will be able to continue visiting the Olympic Drive shop until at least April 2.
Plans call for Invitation Bookshop to close temporarily for the move and reopen between April 12 and 17. The new space adds some 1,000 square feet. Howard said that while the shop's sales floor won't expand by much, the new location will have a small dedicated event space, allowing them to host events during store hours, not just after.