Following its soft opening May 22, Ember & Ink will host a grand opening celebration this coming Saturday, June 27, in Hermosa Beach, Calif., the Daily Breeze reported. Ember & Ink is a romance-focused bookstore that also offers some general fiction titles and books for children and teens. It spans 1,250 square feet and includes a comfortable reading nook, along with a cafe area that is still in the works. The store's event offerings include craft nights, book clubs, and book signings.
Co-owners Kristine Conway and Eliza Lane told the Daily Breeze that Ember & Ink has been well-received. "I think there's that craving for community that's really happening right now," Lane said. "It feels like we're filling a hole, a need in the community."
Conway noted that the store already has regulars: "Sometimes they'll buy something; sometimes they just want to be in here."
Prior to opening Ember & Ink, Conway had a career in pharmaceutical sales, then became a stay-at-home parent, while Lane is an English professor at Bryant & Stratton College. They are both avid romance readers and active in the same PTA group, and Conway felt the urge to open a bookstore while discussing dream jobs at a book club meeting. The pair decided to take the plunge, and they looked at more than 40 locations before finding the space at 1200 Pacific Coast Hwy.
The grand opening festivities on June 27 will run from noon until 4 p.m. and include mocktails, a bookish craft station, flash tattoos, raffles, and other activities.