Verbosity Bookhouse held a grand opening in Port Washington, Wis., on Friday, March 13, TMJ4 reported. Located at 123 N. Franklin St., Verbosity Bookhouse spans 3,800 square feet and sells new and used titles for all ages. Per the Ozaukee Press, there is a bar serving tea, coffee, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages, and the store features a selection of handmade and vintage nonbook items. There is ample seating, including work stations, beanbag chairs, and a puzzle table.
Prior to opening Verbosity Bookhouse, owner Melissa Kassens worked in the health care industry and at a dance studio. She told TMJ4: "I was missing something. I was missing some sort of purpose or drive. I wanted to be the narrator in all of that."
She had always liked the idea of opening a business of her own that had a focus on creativity and community, and she "remembered that as a kid almost every town had a bookstore," Kassens told the Ozaukee Press. "Whenever I go on vacation, the first thing I look for is a bookstore."
Kassens noted that as a child, she was inspired by and looked up to children's author Barbara Joosse, who would read to her elementary school class. Now, Joosse lives across the street from Verbosity Bookhouse, and she stopped by to introduce herself prior to the shop's opening. "It was a full-circle moment," Kassens recalled.