Midnights Bookshop will officially open its storefront location on April 17 at Kettleman Station, 400 E. Kettleman Lane, Suite 11, in Lodi, Calif, the News-Sentinel reported. A grand opening celebration will be announced at a later date.
Co-owners Amanda Zimmerman and Selena Moffett launched Midnights Bookshop last summer as a traveling pop-up at local fairs and farmers markets.
"We thought a brick and mortar was just too big of an idea to open right off the bat," Zimmerman said. "We wanted to see if (another bookseller) was something Lodi wanted. So when we'd go to events, we had a lot of people ask us where our store was located, or ask us why we didn't have one."
The friends have been members of local book clubs for about a decade, and Zimmerman said Moffett approached her one day with the proposal to start the business, the News-Sentinel noted, adding that the mobile bookshop, named "after Taylor Swift's 10th album--they are both huge fans of the pop star... first popped up at the Downtown Lodi Farmers Markets."
Their selection focused on contemporary authors in the romance, fantasy, science fiction, and thriller genres. "We really thought that as millennials, there was a hole in Lodi (for contemporary authors)," Zimmerman recalled. "We thought we could fill that gap with new titles and follow trends."
The bookshop, which has since expanded to include classics as well as many "banned" books, "will feature a carefully curated selection of books, cozy corners for reading and a range of small events including author visits, workshops and community gatherings," the News-Sentinel wrote. Literary-related merchandise will also be available.
"Our pop-ups were always full of energy and surprises, but there's something special about having a place where stories can unfold slowly--where people can linger, explore, and feel at ease," Moffett said. "We can't wait to welcome Lodi into our world of books."
Zimmerman added: "We are very excited to be opening. We think this is something we could bring to the reading community in town. We want to build that community and get more people who love reading and going on adventures when they do it."