Uriel’s Unusual Bookstore Coming to Springfield, Missouri

Nicholas Hale and his wife, Ashleigh, are planning to open Uriel’s Unusual Bookstore, a combination bookstore and coffee shop, in downtown Springfield, Missouri, in time for the holiday season, reported the Springfield News-Leader [4].

The 2,000-square-foot store, which the Hales aim to open in November or December, will sell new and used books. It will offer coffee and a small menu of food options. The name Uriel comes from the name of an archangel who appears in Jewish and some Christian contexts and is often shown holding a book.

Hale is an avid reader who previously worked for his family’s fireworks business. “I asked myself, What can I do every day of the year?” he told the News-Leader. “I thought books and coffee. I’d be happy doing that.”

Argos Brewhouse & Bookseller Planned for Sweetwater, Texas

Jeff Allen, Jared Houze, and Rod Wetsel are opening Argos Brewhouse & Bookseller [5] in downtown Sweetwater, Texas, in just a few weeks, reported KTAB [6]. The owners will be holding a preview of the store on August 25 and plan to officially open September 5.

The combination bookstore, coffeehouse, and bar aims to be a casual hangout spot for residents of Sweetwater, which Wetsel said hasn’t had a bookstore in a number of years. The store will serve Pappy Slokum beer, from nearby Abilene, and local coffee.

The bookstore’s name comes from Homer’s The Odyssey, said Allen. “It’s the name of Ulysses’ dog in the book. It was kind of coming from the idea of loyalty, of sitting and waiting for him all those years to come back, and that’s kind of what we want to be for the community, is to be there for it and be loyal to it,” said Allen.

Stirling Books & Brew Opens

Trivia night at Stirling Books & Brew

Jim and Staci Stuart opened Stirling Books & Brew in Albion, Michigan, this month, reported MLive.com [7]. Co-owner Jim Stuart said the store has a European-type feel; it stays open until 10:00 p.m. every night and features live music and other events.

“We want to stress diversity,” Staci Stuart said. “We want to reach all the demographics in Albion. We want the college kids and the retired people in town — really try to get different people involved.”

While setting up the bookstore in April, a bookshelf fell on Staci, leaving her paralyzed [8] from the waist down. The Stuarts received overwhelming support from the community after the accident.

Memphis’ Novel Bookstore Opens

On August 18, Novel [9] opened Memphis, Tennessee, in the former location of The Booksellers at Laurelwood and, before that, Davis-Kidd Booksellers.

The bookstore is the work of 27 investors who came together to open the store, reported Memphis Daily News [10]. A number of employees from the previous bookstores will be working at Novel.

The 18,000-square-foot store features a large event space and carries about 50,000 books, as well as locally made items, such as clothing; in September, a café called Libro will also open in the store.

“I think it’s going to do very well. I think the staff understands the customers very well,” said investor Matt Crow. “We’ve got the ownership group organized very well to support them.”