The Literary Lounge hosted its grand opening on Friday at 1080 Edgewood Ave. S, in the Murray Hill neighborhood in Jacksonville, Fla. The Florida Times-Union reported that Shelby Giltz and her mother, Terri Reynolds, said they knew they wanted to open a bookstore when they moved from Raleigh to Jacksonville five years ago. The store was about two years in the works when the "perfect space" opened up on Edgewood, with options for foot traffic and parking.
Giltz, who works full-time selling tires for U.S. AutoForce, considers the bookstore her "creative side hustle," with Reynolds serving as the bookshop's general manager. "With four generations of readers living under one roof together, they said it 'just made sense to open a bookstore,' " the Times-Union noted.
"It's scary to make this leap," Giltz said. "Margins are slim [on books], but we wanted to create a space that's welcoming."
Reynolds added: "It was important to be not 'just' anything--not 'just' for kids, not 'just' for Murray Hill, not 'just' a bookstore."
Over the last month, the family has been painting, assembling bookshelves and putting the finishing touches on the store. "It's a labor of love for the whole family," Giltz said. "My 8-year-old is ready to come and work now. And Murray Hill as a whole has been very welcoming."