On Bookstore Romance Day, Lovebound Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, announced plans for expanding the romance bookstore that opened six months ago into the space directly behind it. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that owner Courtney Stookey credited the ability to do so to the readers and fans who have been supporting the store since it launched.
The expansion will be called Lovebound Lounge; it will double the store's size and serve as a space to house a seating area, room for more merchandise and events, a public restroom, and an expanded back room for more inventory.
"I feel so, so lucky that the community has just been showing up every week, seriously, every day. It just blows my mind," she said. "The fact that we even get to do this, and hopefully our customers and readers know that we absolutely wouldn't be able to do this without all of the support that they've already shown us."
Stookey added that the Lovebound Lounge will make running the store easier for her and her staff, but it's also a "thank you for showing up for our first six months. Here's how we're able to give back."
The store will remain open during the expansion. A grand reopening is scheduled for September 7, once the expansion is finished, with a local author signing.
In the Instagram post announcing the expansion, the bookstore noted: "We'll be posting lots of behind the scenes updates over the next few weeks, so be sure to follow along. We can't thank you all enough for showing up every day and completely blowing our minds with your support. This wouldn't be happening without you. THANK YOU!!!"