Loyalty Bookstore in Washington, D.C., officially reopened this past weekend following a renovation and name change, PoPville reported. The store, formerly Upshur Street Books, is located in the city's Petworth neighborhood and had its soft opening on Valentine's Day before hosting a grand opening celebration on Saturday.
Owner Hannah Oliver Depp bought Upshur Street Books from founder and original owner Paul Ruppert earlier this year, after being the store's managing partner for several months. She had also worked with Ruppert on a holiday pop-up shop in Silver Spring, Md., called Loyalty Bookstore, and has brought the same approach to the permanent Loyalty Bookstore location.
The bookstore now has a greater focus on children's books and diverse and intersectional fiction and nonfiction. During the renovations, Depp chose to move away from wall shelves in favor of more display tables, in order to give the store a "please touch" vibe. There is space for customers to read and book groups to gather. And over the next few weeks, Depp and her staff will be gradually ramping up the new Loyalty Bookstore's events program.
In Silver Spring, meanwhile, the Loyalty Bookstore pop-up has resumed operation and will be open at the Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market this Saturday. On the same day, Loyalty will be hosting its "Too Lit to Quit" book club at the Wayne Library in Silver Spring. Depp hopes to eventually find a permanent location in Silver Spring.