Nicholas and Ashleigh Hale hope to open Uriel's Unusual Bookstore in November or December at 301 E. Commercial St. in Springfield, Mo., the News-Leader reported. Uriel's will occupy a one-story storefront with about 2,000 square feet of space. An extensive interior renovation is underway that will include the addition of a mezzanine.
"We'd love to be open for the holiday season," Nicholas Hale said of the bookstore that will feature both new and used books (or, as Hale prefers to think of them, "read" and "unread") as well as traditional coffee shop items and basic small-plate food options.
The bookstore is named after Uriel, "an archangel in Judaism and certain Christian traditions that is typically depicted holding a book, and Hale said he wanted a name that would be unique," the News-Leader wrote.
A lifetime reader, Hale said he first thought about opening a bookstore about a year ago: "I asked myself, What can I do every day of the year? I thought books and coffee. I'd be happy doing that." He added that he thinks Commercial Street is "blossoming.... I think it's going to be perfect for the street."