"For Sale: 1 slightly used coffee shop/bookstore in an adventurous, quirky part of town w/tons of upside." Wild Fig Coffee and Books, Lexington, Ky., posted this message on its social media accounts yesterday, adding: "We feel like the shady guy in an alley hawking jewelry from his trenchcoat... 'psst, psst... hey buddy... lookin for somethin for the little lady? some diamond earrings? a gold bracelet? a 900 square foot coffee shop that sells books, perhaps? ...then step into my office. i got exactly whatchu need.' #seriousinquiresonly."
Unless a buyer steps forward, the bookshop will close later this month. Wild Fig is owned by Ron Davis and Crystal Wilkinson, who describe their business as "your very own local/global, writer-owned, black-owned, counter-gentrification bookstore, nestled in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky's North Limestone district. Our shop is named in honor of the writer Gayl Jones, who has made the NOLI her home for more than 40 years."
Davis told the Lexington Herald Leader that "his goal is to keep the bookstore open until the end of September, even though that costs him and Wilkinson more than simply closing the doors immediately. To buy the bookstore's remaining stock and name would cost a potential buyer $25,000."
"We had some cash mobs come through to support us between March and April, and we had a pretty good summer starting out. We felt like maybe we were starting to turn that three-year corner," he said, adding that even though "we're hearing about the future changes the area is about to undergo" the Wild Fig can't last for the years those changes will take to evolve.