Layfette Books & Gifts will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 19 for its bricks-and-mortar space, located at 7500 Oakbrook Drive, Suite 14, inside the Oakbrook Towne Center in Florence, Ky. A grand opening is slated for November 21.
Owners Amanda and James Hopper signed a three-year lease for the 1,200-square-foot space, Cincinnati Business Courier reported, adding that the bookstore is named in honor of Amanda Hopper's parents, Dorothy and Roy Layfette Miller II. The shop will offer a selection of books for all ages, along with gifts and bookish merchandise.
James Hopper, a former Fidelity employee, said he and his wife, a career-long librarian, had considered opening a bookstore for a while, first trying out the venture through community pop-ups and events.
"We wanted to test the market, just to see if there was an opportunity in Boone County and there was," he noted. "Yes, we have a Barnes & Noble and, yes, we have a Half Price Books, but our goal is a community center where people feel comfortable coming in and asking questions about books."
Layfette's location in a high-traffic shopping center with a diverse tenant mix also factored into their decision. "We are surrounded by wonderful businesses. Restaurants, a marketplace, florists, coffee, pastries," said Hopper, who has plans for future community programming and local partnerships within the space.
"That's one of our core features, everything in the space is moveable. We can bring in chairs or we can use those tables (for a) book club, or if there's a workshop or anything of that nature," he noted. "And then Amanda, given her library background and expertise with children, will be doing story times and things like that."