The Perkins Cove Bookshop hosted its grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration last month at 12 Perkins Cove Rd. in Ogunquit, Maine. Mainebiz reported that "Ogunquit's only bookstore is writing an early success story in the southern Maine summer tourism hotspot."
Co-owners John Ranco and John Cancy had a soft opening in late May, followed by the grand opening on July 1. The bookstore is located near their other business, Perkins Cove Pottery Shop. Ranco told Mainebiz they have owned the pottery store for more than a decade, expanding it over the years into "more of a lifestyle store than a gallery."
Three years ago they began adding books, which eventually led to opening the Perkins Cove Bookshop when the right location became available. The 900-square-foot store stocks about 1,600 titles, from bestsellers to Maine authors and stories. Although the pottery shop is a seasonal business in a non-winterized building, Ranco said the bookstore will stay open through December and possibly on Saturdays during the winter "when it gets awfully quiet."
Their businesses employ 22 people combined, including six at the bookstore. "People who love books apply for jobs at bookstores," Ranco said. "We have this amazing talented crew of readers who work for us now who have such a breadth of knowledge around different titles and genres and adjacent authors."
Alice Pearce, executive director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, said this is the first bookstore to open in the town for as long as anyone can remember, partly because of a 2006 local ordinance that bans franchises from operating there. "People have been waiting for a bookshop forever," she added. "It's been a boon for local authors."