Last month, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Va., finished its relocation across the street to 1307 E. Cary St. with a flourish, thanks to the helpful hands of a community book brigade. The bookshop shared an Instagram video, noting: "WE MOVED!!! Thanks to so many amazing, generous, and STRONG volunteers, Fountain has moved across the street to 1307! Now we just have to make it look nice, so we'll be CLOSED TOMORROW (and possibly Wednesday)! We can't wait for y'all to see our new digs!"
Fountain had announced the move earlier this year, citing the opportunity to have an expanded space, while keeping the original location for events and classes.
In March, owner Kelly Justice told Richmond magazine that for nearly half of her tenure with Fountain Bookstore she has wanted to expand: "I've been talking to fixture people for 10 years.... We've been ready to move for years."
The right space, as it turned out, was nearby. "This building came cute. You can't get any cozier than this," Justice said. "The store came out of the box that way.... One of the goals of this new space is to make browsing more comfortable and less cramped. The hope is, with more space and more inventory, that we will have more traffic, because people will be more comfortable, right? That's the whole idea."
Justice, who purchased the store in 2008, recently told the Richmonder that while she wanted to relocate or open a second branch, she was determined to remain in Shockoe Slip. While renting basement storage in a neighboring building, she was asked if she would be interested in moving into the building.
"The transformation process quickly turned collaborative," the Richmonder wrote. "When Justice involved Richmond-based designers, including CPL Architects and LaDiff, the new location hit its stride. The designers introduced new, quirky elements to the space--including the giraffe, multi-colored bunnies and a Game of Thrones-inspired chandelier--while integrating nods to the old location--such as the faux-brick wall."
"Once I let go and started having fun... it just all came together. We're a loud and silly bookstore," Justice said, adding that she set out to create a sanctuary that provides "discovery and delight.... Some of it sort of came here by accident. I think people are just happy that their butts aren't hitting stuff all the time.... Turns out that the warmth of the store was contained in, not just the space, but in the people--the people that work here, the people that shop here. That's where the warmth is."
In a recent e-mail newsletter, Justice wrote: "Where to start? We are still putting the final touches on the new shop. We are SO excited for you to see the new space. Honestly, I thought this would never get done. I'm serious."
She added an "abbreviated list of thank-yous from me and Team Fountain ('And, I swear, if the orchestra starts playing, I'm still going to keep going.')" to some of the people who made the move possible, including Fountain's customers: "Without your patronage, encouragement, and enthusiasm, all of this would haven't even have been a dream. More than anyone, YOU are responsible for inspiring us to create a better bookstore to serve you." She also thanked her booksellers, "who have to execute the giant weird ideas and also keep the daily gears grinding, so I am free to come up with more."