Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Arts & Letters Bookstore is about to turn the page on a new chapter with the grand opening of its second location in Weatherford set for Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m.
Located in a beautifully restored 116-year-old building just off the Weatherford historic square at 124 York Ave., the bookstore’s second location is sure to become a popular hangout for readers of all ages.
Featuring new releases, bestsellers, stationery, children’s books, greeting cards, toys and games, the new location will be Parker County’s one-stop shop for all things literary and fun.
Roxanne Laney, the heart and soul behind Arts & Letters, has been navigating the ups and downs of the book business since opening the original store in Granbury in 2019.
“Five months after we opened, we had to close because of COVID, and that was kind of a struggle because we really hadn’t established ourselves,” Laney explained. “When we reopened, business was pretty slow most of that year because people just didn’t know what was up, and it was really hard to stay open — but we managed.”
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Laney and her team have worked diligently since then to adapt their business model, cultivate a loyal customer base, and ultimately create a vibrant community hub that celebrates the joy of reading.
"We've tried a lot of things, we've tried a lot of different sidelines, but we finally had a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment about a year ago,” Laney said.
She explained that after experimenting with various strategies during the pandemic, she experienced a pivotal moment when she spoke with a fellow bookstore owner from Colorado that essentially transformed her entire business model.
After one conversation, Laney said she started focusing on managing her inventory, rather than just revenue. She said she also realized that much of her stock was tied up in unsold books, which limited her ability to invest in new titles.
"A couple of other revelations that we had was he said, ‘People only buy stuff at eye level, turned forward,’ and I thought, ‘OK,’ so we started turning more of our books facing forward, and changed up (our) children’s (section) to put the books on the wall,” Laney said. “I can't believe the difference in our sales."
To tackle the inventory issue, Laney said the team also started selling their unsold books back to the publishers — a change that took nearly a year to implement but is now finally paying off.
With these improvements in place, Laney said she felt it was the right time to open a second location, as she can spread overhead costs across two stores and work toward profitability.
"I've never taken a dime out of this business — not once," she said. “So, I would really like to have some return on my investment at some point.”
As Arts & Letters was also approaching its fifth anniversary, Laney said it was an interesting time to start thinking about opening a second store — especially since she had cash on hand from the sale of The Square Cafe earlier this year.
“I just thought, ‘Well, maybe this is what we should do,” she said.
After contemplating locations in Stephenville and Fort Worth, Laney fell in love with the charm and potential of a beautifully restored building that was originally constructed in 1908.
The building, which has recently undergone extensive renovations, features a stunning blend of historic elements and modern touches. With its grand double doors and elegant plate glass windows, the space exudes an inviting atmosphere for book lovers who are eager to delve into their next adventure.
Laney — who described the building as “gorgeous,” — said she was particularly impressed by the restoration process, which revealed the original paint color and uncovered a beautiful black-and-white penny tile entrance with a brass insert reading "Welcome Est. 1908."
“It is so nice,” she said, adding that she is particularly excited about the unique personality the Weatherford store will bring, compared to its sister location in Granbury.
"I did some research,” Laney said. “We live on the tourist business here, and I don't think Weatherford is the tourist town that Granbury is, but Parker County is way bigger than Hood County by like 100,000 people or more. I just thought, ‘Well, that might be enough to sustain it.’”
With the grand opening only a week away, Laney said she is excited for her returning customers to check out the new space, while also encouraging new customers in Weatherford to check out the space in the hopes of becoming regulars.
“I’ve had a really good response over there,” she said. “People come in all day long wanting to know about opening. I’ve even had people call this store and say, ‘Hey, I heard this. I just wanted to tell somebody, because I’m so happy,’ but I think that's good. We're a team, and we have different personalities to accommodate, and I think the new store (will have) a different set of personalities, so it'll look a little different, and I think that's exciting.”
Laney expressed that she is particularly excited about managing the Weatherford location with the benefit of experience, noting that she had little knowledge of the book business when she first opened her store five years ago.
“I have five years of experience now, and I've had help from peers,” she said. “We kind of know what to do, and I think it'll be exciting to see if we can do better in a new location.”
With both stores managing as one business, customers can use their Frequent Buyer Points, gift cards and trade credits interchangeably. As another benefit of the combined operation, if one store doesn’t have a book a customer is looking for, Laney mentioned that the staff can deliver it from the other store within a day.
“We can see the inventory at both stores, so we can get something quickly,” she added. “Our shelves have been installed and we’re already busy filling them with the best selections.”
Hours of operation for the Weatherford location will be 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The next couple of weeks will also be jam-packed for the bookstore, with the grand opening of the Weatherford location set for Saturday, Oct. 5, and the five-year anniversary celebration set for the next week at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.
In the lead-up to the grand opening, customers are encouraged to follow Arts & Letters on social media for the latest updates, sneak peaks and exclusive event details.
As Laney prepares to turn the page and dive into an exciting new adventure, she encourages patrons to visit the new location for an experience they “just can’t download.”
“It’s an adventure,” she added. “We’ll see what happens.”
