Black Dog Books has opened at 2323 Main St. in Tucker, Ga., "after months of permitting delays, fulfilling a longtime dream for owner Heather Lutz, who grew up in Tucker and returned years later to raise her own family," Decaturish reported.
"I had always wanted to open a bookstore. It's kind of been like the big dream of my whole life," Lutz said. "It's named after my dog Luna too. So I always knew I wanted Black Dog Books. I just didn't know when it would happen."
After returning to Tucker, she realized one thing was missing from the city's growing downtown: "I looked at a lot of different places and decided on Tucker, but the only downside was it didn't have a bookstore," Lutz said. "I waited years and years and years, and then I was like, you know what? It's like that situation where you're gonna have to do it yourself, be the change you want to see."
The bookstore offers titles across a wide range of genres, with an emphasis on Southern authors, diverse voices, and independent publishers. "It's important to me that there's lots of different voices because Tucker itself is so diverse," Lutz said. "I feel like it needs to reflect the community."
She operates the bookstore day to day, while her sister and co-owner, Blaine Williamson, who lives in Madison, Wis., helps with ordering books and business operations from afar, Decaturish noted.
The owners hope the store becomes a third place for the community, and have already hosted its first local author event and children's story time, with more to come. Future plans include author signings, book release celebrations, seasonal family events, and book clubs.
"I love to just talk books with anybody, so I hope that you know if you come in and you want to chat," Lutz said. "Ultimately, I want people to feel welcomed and like you belong. I think also just feel like this is a safe space."