This summer, Eight Cousins Books in Falmouth, Mass., will expand into a second storefront, doubling its size.
The new space at 199 Main St. will become the home of Eight Cousins, while the original space at 189 Main St. will belong to Eight Cousins Kids. While the two stores are not physically connected, they are "approximately 50 steps away" from each other. The store is hiring for year-round positions, with both full-time and part-time/weekend positions available. Store owners Sara Hines, Janet B. Totten, and Eileen C. Miskell are planning to open the new store in early July.
The owners told the Falmouth Enterprise that they'd been eyeing expansion for a while, as the current location was "a little size-challenged." When the previous occupant of 199 Main St., the Green Eyed Daisy, announced it wanted a bigger space, Hines, Totten, and Miskell thought it would be a great fit.
"There will be more space to spread out, and we will want more front-facing books, which are so much more appealing," Totten said. "This is an amazing opportunity to nourish young children and provide them a nice browsing experience."
"As a bonus, the store at 199 Main is not moving away; they are just moving next door," Hines added. "It's a neat little story about stores expanding on Main St."
Eight Cousins was founded in 1986 as a children's bookstore by Carol Chittenden and her mother, Betty Borg. Over the years, it expanded its offerings to include adult books. Chittenden sold the store in 2015.