Empire Bookshop, a new and used bookstore in Kewanee, Ill., opened for business last month, the Kewanee Voice reported.
The bookstore, which carries general-interest titles for all ages, is located at 100 W. 3rd St. It resides in an historic building from the 19th century and is next door to a coffee shop, which patrons can access through an interior door.
Owner Nicole Cernovich hopes to appeal to a wide range of customers, telling the Kewanee Voice that she "tried to get a little bit of everything." She explained that she wanted to open a bookstore for years and decided to make that dream a reality when the previous tenants vacated the space.
The name, Cernovich added, is a reference to a tavern called the Empire that once operated in the building.