"It was a lifelong dream to open my own bookshop," said Lauren Cardick, owner of the soon-to-open Matchmaker Bookshop in Highland Park, Ill. "It seemed like a natural fit."
Located at 1891 Second St., Matchmaker Bookshop spans about 1,900 square feet and will debut next month with a grand opening on September 13. The shop will sell new titles for all ages, and within that generalist umbrella, Cardick and her team "want to make sure we have a robust children's section," as the area has lots of young families. They've also put a lot of emphasis on the romance and horror genres, among others. Alongside books, there will be a "large and rotating selection" of gifts and sidelines, including wrapping paper, stationery, candles, and stuffed animals.
Elissa Smith, Matchmaker's events coordinator, said the team wants to make the store "a big destination for authors on the North Shore" as well as a "big local events space." In addition to author events, the team plans to host craft workshops, story hours, and book clubs, with Smith noting that the team "really wants to hear what the community is looking for" and host events that cater to those needs.
The store's upstairs space will be available for community members to rent and has a conference room and classroom for meetings and workshops. Matchmaker also has a lounge area, a children's play space, and a large back patio that will feature tables, chairs, and umbrellas. Cardick and her team hope that community members will "come and spend time" and "come hang out with us." She said: "We want this to be a true third space in the community."
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| Owner Lauren Cardick | |
The store's name, Cardick explained, was inspired by the book The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson, in which "the theme of matchmaking kept coming up." A friend gave Cardick a copy of the book on the same day she made an offer on the bookstore's future home, and she was struck by the book's discussion of "that special alchemy of pairing the right book with the right reader."
Smith remarked that Matchmaker's name "really lines up with what we want to do," and Cardick added that the store's motto is "where readers and books live happily ever after."
Matchmaker is Cardick's "first foray into the publishing and bookselling world"; prior to launching the bookstore, she had a career in public health and consulting. When she decided to go back to work after about eight years of being a stay-at-home parent, Cardick felt that she "didn't want to go back to the corporate world again." Opening a bookstore seemed very appealing, and she decided to do the Paz & Associates course, figuring it would "either talk me out of it or convince me. And here we are."
Touching on the grand opening festivities scheduled for September 13, Cardick said exact plans are still being finalized, but a local coffee and flower cart called Bloom and Brew will be on hand to serve coffee and sell bouquets. There will also be activities for children and some form of incentive for the first 25 customers. Prior to the grand opening, there will be a family and friends night on September 6 and, in general, Cardick intends to soft open "as soon after Labor Day as possible."
Asked how the Highland Park community has responded to the bookstore, Cardick reported that "everyone has been unbelievably generous and welcoming." Cardick was in the town's 4th of July parade with a coming soon sign to advertise the bookstore, and enthusiasm has been building throughout the summer. "Excitement is palpable," she said. --Alex Mutter