It may be small, but a downtown Midland business has proven to be mighty successful just five years after opening.
Since opening its doors on April 1, 2016, Georgian Bay Books has become a popular locale for area residents looking for the latest fiction and non-fiction offerings.
“We decided to take a chance and open up our own bookstore,” explains co-owner Sarah Kenney, who runs the store with business partner Sandy Dunsford.
“We worked together at a bookstore that closed and left Midland.”
Located near the corner of King Street and Dominion Avenue, the main street store packs a lot of punch into its footprint with bookshelves lining the walls and filled to the brim with a wide assortment of titles and genres.
“We sell new books, journals, puzzles and we have recently expanded our Manga section,” Kenney notes.
“For a small store we have a great selection of books for adults and children and we take finding the right book for you as a personal challenge. “We can also special order books.”
They also have a handy catalogue system for searching new releases.
And if, by chance, they don’t have what you are looking for, just ask and they will try to order it; from the latest by a beloved author to an out-of-print classic.
They also have a dedicated section devoted to younger readers and parents looking for that perfect bedtime story. As well, they have a neat selection of fiction-inspired clothing and other miscellaneous book-related items.
And since Georgian Bay Books is a community-friendly bookstore, they like to promote local authors and artists and invite residents to keep checking for upcoming author signings and sightings.
“We have a lot of fun at this store and we enjoy talking books with our customers and friends,” Kenney adds.
And reviews for the store show their customers agree; it’s a great place to visit.
“Staff is very knowledgeable and spent a considerable amount of time with my son finding just the right book,” one customer says. “Better than Amazon any day.”
Adds another reviewer: “Best bookstore to get a great read for your vacation or life. The owners are kind, and generous with their wealth of knowledge around the books in their store.
“I loved that I felt like I was getting a book recommendation from a friend. They do great stuff for the community as well, and I loved that they were mindful of the COVID situation as well.”
To find your next book, visit www.georgianbaybooks.ca.
To view all our spotlights being featured by the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce please visit https://southerngeorgianbay.ca/about-us/blog.