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| Browsing inside the new location | |
A Room of One's Own in Madison, Wis., opened this weekend in its new home in Madison's Atwood neighborhood, Channel 3000 reported. The opening at 2717 Atwood Ave. marked the first time in well over a year that A Room of One's Own has welcomed shoppers inside, and customers formed a line down the sidewalk before the doors opened.
Co-owner Gretchen Treu told Channel 3000: "Between a very loyal audience and a greater amount of outreach, and finding our voice a little bit more over the last year, it's been great."
The bookstore closed its previous space in downtown Madison on July 25. Its new home in Atwood is smaller--4,500 square feet compared to 6,000--but has skylights, a back garden and wooden ceilings. A Room of One's Own announced the move earlier this year, after real estate developers purchased the bookstore's building with plans to demolish it and replace it with a mixed-use development.
Treu, co-owner Wes Lukes and silent partner Patrick Rothfuss have secured a 20-year lease for the Atwood store. Compared to downtown Madison, Atwood is known for its walkability and has plenty of small businesses and families. The trio has owned the bookstore since 2018. It was originally founded in 1975 as a feminist bookstore and has occupied several locations in Madison.