The Nook recently celebrated its grand reopening at 314 Main Ave. in Brookings, S.Dak. The Brookings Register reported that the festivities occurred five months after a fire destroyed neighboring Brost's Fashion. Founded in February 2023, the Nook hadn't yet celebrated its second anniversary when the December 30 blaze damaged it and neighboring businesses.
"It was heart wrenching," said Laci Thompson, who owns both the Nook and downtown boutique Pasque. "You really felt for your fellow business owners. The things you can never replace are the energy you spent getting those locations up and running.... The dollars and product--that's something you can replace. It's not our homes, right? I really found an enhanced appreciation for people who've been through a fire in their homes. I can't fathom that. It was a surreal experience and one I hope none of us go through again."
Thompson added: "Our neighbors had water damage, but we were just saturated with smoke. As you can imagine, smoke infiltrates everywhere. There's no way to mitigate that. I feel very blessed to be where we are. I'm just so grateful to the first responders and firefighters--otherwise I might not have had a business to go to back to."
After the reopening, Thompson posted on Instagram: "!! T H A N K Y O U !! Our Grand Reopening was nothing short of wonderful, and it's all because of you! To our customers + community. Thank you for showing up, cheering us on, and showing us once again just how special this community is. From the bottom of our hearts, we are grateful for your support, your kind words, and your shared excitement. To the team. Thank you to the Nook team for keeping the energy and life of the Nook going while we were in a different space. Your ability to keep the brand alive, work alternate hours and stay focused on our mission is always appreciated. A note of thanks to the Pasque team for supporting the Nook products while in a shared space.... To our Downtown Brookings neighbors. Thank you for your endless encouragement and sharing our story. We feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so much support and kindness. We're so happy to be home at 314 Main. Here's to fresh starts, familiar faces, new friends, and everything ahead! With a full heart + so much gratitude."
Thompson told the Register that during the time the store was closed, the bookseller "took the opportunity--a silver lining per se--to really re-think what the store could look like. Even though we're still fairly new, you've got to take these moments to see how it's an opportunity to think differently.... I'm sure my fellow business owners who were more greatly impacted would say, you do have to take an adjustment period. You do have to go through all the cycles of emotions. But it's allowed us to brainstorm."