After acquiring a neighboring coffee shop, Verb Bookstore in Jonesboro, Ark., will become Verb Bookstore and Cafe, KAIT8 reported.
Bookstore owner Sari Harlow is acquiring Story Coffeehouse, which is located in the same building as Verb, from its owners Bethany Davis and Lindsey Spencer. Story Coffeehouse will close permanently on December 22, and Verb will move into the coffee shop's space; the transition is expected to be complete by the end of January 2024. Harlow will retain all Story employees who wish to remain, and no one will be laid off due to the transition.
In the new space, Verb will have ample seating and more room for book clubs and author talks. Verb's old home, meanwhile, will be converted into offices, storage rooms, and possibly an event space.
In a message to community members, Spencer and Davis thanked their customers and noted that prior to Story's opening, "our vision was for Verb and Story to co-occupy this space. We made sketches and had many conversations about how the businesses would co-exist, but the timing just didn't make sense. So, we continued on separate paths, rooting for each other all along the way, and eventually becoming neighbors in our historic building! It's funny how coffee and books will now come together in this space--as we originally intended."
Harlow wrote that any nervousness she had about sharing the news disappeared due to "the response we got from all of you, the excitement and energy, the love and support.... Like the Grinch, I feel like my heart grew at least two sizes yesterday."