New Denver indie bookstore looks to break the mold
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Denver Book Society. Photo: John Frank/Axios
Denver's newest indie bookstore wants to be more than just books.
The intrigue: Denver Book Society in the Uptown neighborhood is a coffee shop and soon a bar. It's a place to play board games and do puzzles. It hosts book clubs.
- And most importantly, the owners say, it's a third space for the community.
Why it matters: Denver Book Society is one of a handful of independent bookstores in the city, and the owners acknowledge it's a tough road competing with Amazon.
What they're saying: With the pandemic behind us, "we need people to come together, to convene, to have conversations, and books are the best way to do that," says co-owner Kwame Spearman, a former mayoral candidate.
The vibe: The bookstore on the corner of 17th Avenue and Humboldt Street is filled with natural light and nearly 11,000 titles.
- Other features include a community room and a kids' reading nook.
- Spearman and business partner Rich Garvin are promising a different experience. "This is very much a high-touch experience. This is a hospitality concept that sells books," Garvin tells us.
Between the lines: The two started the venture after losing a bid to buy Tattered Cover out of bankruptcy. The once-independent store is now owned by Barnes & Noble.
The bottom line: Spearman, the former Tattered Cover CEO, says he learned from mistakes trying to rescue a dying business and considers this a new opportunity to build from the ground up.
- Garvin, an avid reader, shut down his business hosting corporate conferences during the pandemic and now calls this "a giant philanthropy project."