Type to search

Little Shop of Stories to expand space

Business Decatur

Little Shop of Stories to expand space

Share
book store

The interior of Little Shop of Stories in downtown Decatur Photo from www.facebook.com/Little-Shop-of-Stories-107114087153/timeline

By Dena Mellick, Associate editor

Little Shop of Stories, the popular children’s bookstore in downtown Decatur, is planning to expand into the space next door.

Vivid Boutique, the store between Little Shop of Stories and Starbucks on the Square in Decatur, decided to move down the street to West Ponce de Leon Ave. Little Shop of Stories is taking over Vivid’s old location and will tear down the wall to add more retail space.

“Nothing is set in stone yet,” said Lindsay Pingel, event coordinator for Little Shop of Stories. “There are going to be some walls torn down. We’re going to have to create an opening from our current space into the new space. It’s going to take a little bit of time.”

“It’s all a big cloud of mystery at the moment,” said Justin Colussy-Estes, inventory manager for Little Shop of Stories. “It’s a big empty space, and we’re excited to move in. We’re throwing ideas at the owners, Dave and Diane.”

“Dave and Diane” are co-owners Dave Shallenberger and Diane Capriola. Capriola said the team is trying to figure out what the expansion will look like. She said the timeline will depend on the scope of work and getting permits in place, but added, “Our hope is sometime this spring we’ll be in that space as well.”

[adsanity id=27331 align=aligncenter /]

Colussy-Estes said the expansion of the shop doesn’t mean a change in the direction of the business.

“We’re pretty happy with being a kids’ bookstore. We’re certainly not looking to rebrand or become an adult bookstore or anything like that that I’m aware of,” he said.

Capriola said she’s hoping they won’t have to close the store while work is under way.

“I suspect that if we have to close it will just be for a couple of days,” Capriola said. “I think the work we have to do won’t impact the existing side that much. I don’t anticipate us being closed for very long.”

Capriola said she’s grateful for the community support and response to news of the expansion.

“Because so much of what we’re able to do is because of the community that we’re in, the support that we get from Decatur families and Decatur schools and the Decatur Education Foundation and the Book Festival … we’re all doing a lot to enrich our kids’ lives in terms of reading and literacy, and we’re just grateful to have the community behind us as we step into this,” Capriola said.

Tags:
Dena Mellick

Dena Mellick is the Associate Editor of Decaturish.com.

    1