Last October, Katie Hake and Spencer Chu opened the doors to Alpenglow. The independent bookstore sits along Grand Avenue in Glenwood Springs, just a few doors down from the Bluebird Cafe and Doc Holliday’s Saloon. Light filters into the wood, snow and floral aesthetic of the shop through west-facing windows. 

In just 10 months, Hake and Chu have made their mark on downtown Glenwood. When Alpenglow opened, the couple were the only staff, which initially limited their hours of operation. They assembled much of the store’s furniture at their home ahead of move-in, and started the business with a belief in the power of literature and high hopes. 

Since, they’ve built their genre sections, brought in jewelry and gift products from local artists and expanded an arts and crafts supply section in addition to a children’s corner. Alpenglow also started partnering with a variety of local organizations to put on events starting this spring, and was even the official bookseller at this year’s Aspen Summer Words conference in June. 

Hake recently spoke with The Sopris Sun to share more about the first almost-year of business. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

What first inspired you to open up a bookstore?
We really felt like Glenwood is the kind of town that needs a bookstore. We had a wonderful used bookstore in town when we were considering the idea but there hadn’t been a new bookstore in years, especially not downtown. A bunch of factors came together, the space opened up, so we jumped on the opportunity. Things coalesced in a really nice way.

What is one of your favorite things about reading and books?
I’ve been a big reader since I was a kid, I love being able to immerse myself in another world. I’m a physical book person, and I like the mindset of not doing anything else, especially in the society we live in with lots of distractions.

What were some of the big initial challenges in opening Alpenglow?
We built almost all of the shelves in the store in our driveway. That was a big lift physically. We had to determine what books we wanted to carry, so we worked with our supplier to identify an initial list. We were able to start hiring staff this spring and summer which was helpful for our schedule and to expand store hours. 

What are two or three of the highlights of the past 10 months of operations?
Hard to say, there are so many highlights. It feels really good when people come in and have great things to say about the store. That consistently has been very rewarding. We’ve worked with the library, with Glenwood Rec [on events]. I love seeing kids’ faces light up. It’s such a joy to see them get excited about books. 

How has the event series been going?
Most bookstores will have a dedicated events person. Right now that’s just me. I try to do things I’m excited about and that people will get a lot out of while also keeping it sustainable for the store and my time. Overall it’s been really good. 

We’re doing a lighter August intentionally, but we have a monthly book club, and we’re hoping to do a couple author events and other local events in September. Likely sometime in autumn, late September or early October, we’re planning an anniversary event. Stay tuned! 

What are your thoughts about the proposed Barnes and Noble in the Meadows mall complex? 
That’s something we don’t have any control over. We’re staying focused on what we do best and the value we bring to Glenwood and the surrounding community. 

What are some thoughts you’d like to share on the value of independent bookstores? 
We have lived in this town and feel like we’re able to really enmesh ourselves in the community. We feel like this is a really special place. Independent bookstores know the community they’re serving. That local connection makes a difference in care and ability to give back. From an economic standpoint, the sales cycle back into the community at a much higher rate. 

Anything else you’d like the community to know? 
We’re really grateful for all the support people have shown us. We’re not even a year old and the community has really shown us how much they appreciate having a bookstore in town again. It’s a big reading community and one that supports the arts and is thoughtful and generous.

Alpenglow Books & Gifts’ summer hours are 12 to 7pm Monday through Thursday, 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sundays. The shop updates events at www.alpenglowbooks.com/events