Hollow Oak Books & Goods will open this fall in Johns Creek, Ga., in the upcoming Medley mixed-use development, Atlanta Business Chronicle reported, adding that with "many people craving offline experiences as technology creeps into more corners of everyday life, there is a demand for businesses and spaces that promote analog activities like reading and in-person opportunities to connect."
"It's becoming more and more obvious as AI explodes and social media is ubiquitous," Hollow Oak owner Katie Bossie said. "There's a natural swing of the pendulum happening for a lot of people. More and more, we have to put conscious effort into engaging with long-form content like books, letting ourselves engage in activities where we're not distracted constantly with devices, retraining our brains."
Hollow Oak's name was inspired by the Nancy Drew novel The Message in the Hollow Oak. In addition to books, the store will sell stationery, art and artisan wares, and home goods. Bossie is also planning classes, craft nights, and game nights. Bossie noted that the goal of her business is to get people "stepping away from the screen and settling back into real life."
She spent the past 10 years of her career in software sales, but told the Atlanta Business Chronicle that opening a bookstore had been on her mind for a while, shaped by a lifelong love of reading and a passion for discovering local businesses and community spaces. Visiting local shops and bookstores while on vacations with her husband also played a role in her decision. "The best books I've ever read have been placed into my hands by a bookseller," she said.
Hollow Oak is scheduled to open October 29, and Bossie noted that Johns Creek "has been somewhat underserved for an experiential, thoughtfully curated retail experience," she said, adding that she believes the change from software sales to opening a business a logical one: "It's that same mindset, that same level of accountability and ownership, that same level of thrill where you're responsible for your own destiny. You can make it be what you want. In that way, that was a delightful discovery."
Bossie told The Creek magazine that "Hollow Oak is a love letter to analog living--a counterbalance to the very digital age we are living in. We hope the shop will serve as a kind of sanctuary, allowing folks to get lost in the art, stories, craft and workmanship that represent the best of who we are as human beings."