Two Independent Bookstores Open Their Doors as Book Sense Participants

For both Pat Willoughby and Petra Williams, the prospect of running an independent bookstore represented a radical change from their careers in corporate America.

Willoughby, in sales and marketing for the last 20 years, is the owner of the Burke’s Books of Park Ridge in Park Ridge, Illinois, set to open in late July. Williams, the co-owner, along with her husband Daniel, of All About Books in Smithville, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City, was an engineer. All About Books will open in mid-July.

Burke’s Books of Park Ridge, Illinois

Though the 4,275-square-foot Burke’s Books of Park Ridge has yet to open, Willoughby has been a member of the American Booksellers Association for the past three years. She became a member in anticipation of opening her store, Willoughby told BTW, and will open as a store with Book Sense.

Willoughby thinks she has a good locale for an independent bookstore. Park Ridge, with a population of approximately 36,000 is a middle- to upper-class town, with a bustling, vibrant downtown area -- and no chains in sight. "It’s community-oriented," Willoughby said. "There’s live theater, department stores, and restaurants." And despite the presence of four Starbucks, it’s a community, she added, that is different in that "it’s not crazy about chains. We like the small town feel."

Like many people in Park Ridge, Willoughby has always done most of her shopping downtown. The only thing she noticed missing from the shopping area was a bookstore. "The community was upset that they didn’t have a general bookstore," she said. "Being in sales and marketing, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce, I got the idea three years ago." At the time, Willoughby believed that if she didn’t open a bookstore, someone else would.

After Willoughby decided to make Burke’s Books a reality, she began attending BookExpo America conventions and doing "lots of research." She hired a designer to create the layout of the bookstore, and she spoke with several different owners of independent bookstores to get their suggestions and advice on opening and running a bookstore.

Aside from joining ABA, Willoughby became a Book Sense member. "I wanted to do everything I could to promote being an independent," she said. "We serve a necessary community need. I worked for corporate America, and they are concerned with numbers. Indies are concerned with the people that come into the store. It shows you’re community oriented."

All About Books, Smithville, Missouri

Petra Williams, a corporate ex-pat, opened the 1,600-square-foot All About Books, a general bookstore, in Smithville, Missouri, because, she said, "I needed to make a change and bring something to the community.... It was a new challenge, and I love books."

Located just north of Kansas City, Smithville is a small, but rapidly growing town, with a population of about 5,500. Unlike Park Ridge, there is not just one central shopping area, Williams explained. Smithville has several retail districts, including a new strip mall a couple of miles outside of town, where Williams’ store is located.

But like Park Ridge, Smithville is a prime locale for an independent bookstore. Her nearest competitor, a Barnes & Noble, is approximately 30 minutes away.

It was right before Thanksgiving in 2001 when Williams, a mother of three, was driving home from work and got the idea to open a bookstore. She believed it would give her more options as a mother, and, her husband, a firefighter, thought it sounded like a great idea. "I went to the Chamber of Commerce, and they confirmed that nobody was looking to [open a bookstore at the time]," she said. Moreover, someone in the local government had conducted a study and found that the community would likely respond well to a local bookstore.

All About Books is an ABA member and a participant in the Book Sense program. Williams joined Book Sense at the urgings of a book consultant during a weeklong training seminar. "I like the national branding aspect of Book Sense," she explained. "The fact that it brings independent bookstores together."

Williams said that All about Books will offer patrons a "little bit of everything," but "there will be a big focus on kids. We blocked off an area for the kids’ section. We want to be a destination place for families to come here -- we want to make it friendly." --David Grogan