Rumspringa Books has opened as a pop-up bookshop for the holiday season at Granny's Baking Table in Springfield, Mass. The Republican reported that co-owners Brett Albert and Kate Kreider said the bookstore, at 309 Bridge St., "will showcase the latest and greatest bestsellers" as well as "older bestsellers and personal favorites."
Albert said they have been looking to create Rumspringa for the past year for several reasons, including their love for independent bookstores. The shop's "target market is people who live in Springfield and are interested in community and storytelling," the Republican noted. The owners want to serve every aspect of Springfield, which is why having their bookstore located downtown is important.
"One of the things that made Springfield also very attractive was that it indexes people who love public media and also people who have higher education attainment," Albert said, adding that they are putting final touches on the bookstore's website, which should go live soon. The owners will personally deliver orders.
The collaboration between the two businesses is the byproduct of a previous work relationship between Albert and Todd Crosset, co-owner of Granny's, who said, "Pastries, coffee, and books--it all kind of goes together. I think it's a nice collaboration."
Granny's Baking Table posted on its Facebook Page: "When we asked our customers what they wanted next door to us, the overwhelming favorite idea was a bookstore. Sadly a bookstore is not moving next door. Good news, it's moving in house. We have invited Rumspringa Books to set up in our shop for the holidays. Rumspringa has a dream of opening a shop downtown. This bakery-bookstore pop-up is an opportunity to test Springfield's appetite for a bookstore-cafe."