The Phoenix Bookstore, a bookstore and coffee shop in Laredo, Tex., that made its debut in December 2019, will close permanently next month. In a Facebook post announcing the closure and thanking customers for their support, store owner Margie Govea said the bookstore's last day in business will be February 19.
"I'm so thankful to all my book-loving family who supported my dream, you are the reason why we lasted as long as we did," she wrote. "It was my sincere pleasure to have shared my sanctuary with you and knowing what I know now, I would still do it all over again!"
She's booked a slate of events for the store's final few weeks, including Harry Potter Book Nights, and the store will continue to host its painting classes every Sunday until the last day of business.
Govea told the Laredo Morning Times that she was proud of what she and store co-owner Jose R. Cantu accomplished, and it was a pleasure to open a business that "inspired the love of reading in many."
The bookstore briefly shut down in 2020, but reopened after pivoting to a "contactless style" of business.