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The previous store did not have enough room for a giraffe. (Eleanor Shaw\/The Richmonder)<\/p>\nThe last thing you\u2019d expect in a bookstore is a giraffe.<\/p>\n
But in Fountain Bookstore\u2019s new location, one holds a chandelier in their mouth for readers purchasing new books.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The giraffe doesn\u2019t have an official name, though store owner Kelly Justice encourages her customers to come up with one themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe giraffe is just like Fountain \u2014 it\u2019s for everybody,\u201d Justice said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe giraffe has weirdly become sort of symbolic of what the whole idea of Fountain is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bookstore\u2019s giraffe now lives just 30 feet from the shop\u2019s original storefront, where the business began nearly 50 years ago. The old space was cozy, but it was cramped \u2014 it\u2019ll now be used for classes and other events.<\/p>\n
The previous store did not have enough room for a giraffe. (Eleanor Shaw\/The Richmonder)<\/p>\n
Justice, who purchased the store in 2008, had spent a decade searching for a new location. She considered relocating or opening a second branch, but she was determined to remain in Shockoe Slip.<\/p>\n
The bookstore began renting basement storage in a neighboring building. One day, the building\u2019s landlord asked Justice if she knew anyone interested in moving into the main space. That\u2019s when Justice knew where Fountain Bookstore\u2019s new home would be: across the street.<\/p>\n
Throughout the moving process, Justice fretted that a new location would lose the store\u2019s signature snug charm. The old building had a special scent, she said, and acoustics, while the new location had been a sterile tech store.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople, including myself, were very attached to the old location. It has a warmth,\u201d Justice said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you can\u2019t recreate a space like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The transformation process quickly turned collaborative. When Justice involved Richmond-based designers, including CPL Architects and LaDiff, the new location hit its stride. The designers introduced new, quirky elements to the space \u2014 including the giraffe, multi-colored bunnies and a \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d-inspired chandelier \u2014 while integrating nods to the old location \u2014 such as the faux-brick wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I let go and started having fun \u2026 it just all came together,\u201d Justice said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a loud and silly bookstore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Embracing Fountain Bookstore\u2019s whimsy was key in finding the new store\u2019s identity. Justice set out to create a sanctuary that provides \u201cdiscovery and delight.\u201d This pursuit helped some of the old location\u2019s energy find its way home.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of it sort of came here by accident,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cI think people are just happy that their butts aren\u2019t hitting stuff all the time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the old location, the booksellers\u2019 break room was a \u201cHarry Potter\u201d-esque closet under a staircase next to the bathroom. The only thing between an employee eating their lunch and customers was a shower curtain. Now, there\u2019s a new back room (plus a coffee maker) with plenty of storage for both books and staff’s belongings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey make this happen, they are the warmth, they are the soul and they deserved better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A big motivator for the move is also the main reason behind the store\u2019s membership subscriptions<\/a>: its employees. These tiered programs offer free books, store credit, discounts, newsletters and more.<\/p>\n Justice said she wants the employees to have livable wages, which is why the subscription money goes toward frequent bonus checks. The program has been \u201coverwhelmingly successful\u201d since it launched in January, Justice said, which she credits to the community that has built itself around the bookstore.<\/p>\n The community also plays a role in which books the store stocks. While Justice and employees will sell popular picks, new releases and books that fit the shop\u2019s vibe, they also pick books they know will interest specific frequent customers. That personal touch is what Justice said makes Fountain Bookstore unique.<\/p>\n \u201cTurns out that the warmth of the store was contained in, not just the space, but in the people \u2014 the people that work here, the people that shop here,\u201d Justice said emphatically. \u201cThat\u2019s where the warmth is.\u201d<\/p>\n Contact Reporting Intern Eleanor Shaw at eshaw@richmonder.org<\/a><\/p>\n The Richmonder is powered by your donations. For just $9.99 a month, you can join the 1,000+ donors who are keeping quality local journalism alive in Richmond.<\/p>\n