BROOKINGS Five months after a fire destroyed Brosts Fashion at 318 Main Ave., a neighboring business is poised to rise phoenixlike from the ashes. Downtown bookstore The Nook at 314 Main Ave. celebrates its grand reopening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thats our goal to reintroduce ourselves to the community, Laci Thompson, who owns both The Nook and downtown boutique Pasque, said. We did have part of the store inside Pasque this entire time a small portion just to keep the brand moving. (The Nook) is a new brand and hasnt been around a long time.
Founded in February 2023, The Nook hadnt yet celebrated its second anniversary when the Dec. 30 blaze that destroyed Brosts damaged it and neighboring businesses.
It was heart wrenching, Thompson said. You really felt for your fellow business owners. The things you can never replace are the energy you spent getting those locations up and running. The dollars and product thats something you can replace. Its not our homes, right? I really found an enhanced appreciation for people whove been through a fire in their homes. I cant fathom that. It was a surreal experience and one I hope none of us go through again.
Shes grateful to be reopening so quickly.
(Our inventory) was all damaged by smoke, Thompson said. Our neighbors had water damage, but we were just saturated with smoke. As you can imagine, smoke infiltrates everywhere. Theres no way to mitigate that. I feel very blessed to be where we are. Im just so grateful to the first responders and firefighters otherwise I might not have had a business to go to back to.
Even the smoke cleanup required extensive work.
Kevin Grunewaldt owns the building, and hes been doing a ton of great work getting rid of that smell, Thompson said. It just takes time, because 314 is a big building. There was a lot to get out before you can even start to do repairs and repainting. Youve also got to make sure youre doing all the right things regarding insurance, the city and everybody else making sure the right things are done the right way.
Thompson said she and her staff spent that time thinking of ways to improve.
We took the opportunity a silver lining per se to really re-think what the store could look like, she said. Even though were still fairly new, youve got to take these moments to see how its an opportunity to think differently. Im sure my fellow business owners who were more greatly impacted would say, you do have to take an adjustment period. You do have to go through all the cycles of emotions. But its allowed us to brainstorm.
She invites customers to see whats new.
You should see more seating, so people can lounge a bit, Thompson said. You should see a little bit different layout to make shopping more engaging. Were also going to be open seven days a week, which is different. Were hoping to give people on the weekends thats when I love to read the most an opportunity to come, peruse and find their next read.
In the past, The Nook has hosted author talks and book signings something Thompson hopes to expand.
Were looking to redefine what our community giveback events are, she said. Were actually going to be expanding besides just author signings. Were going to do quite a bit of exciting new things, and were looking forward to bringing forward some other offerings soon.
The Nook also sponsors a monthly book club, and June 17 theyll discuss Strangers in Time by David Baldacci. Set during World War II, it tells the story of how a bookshop owner struggling with tragedy finds healing through new friendships.
Thompson said books can bridge the gap between people.
Theres nothing more enjoyable than talking about books, she said. Its a way to break down barriers in the world. No matter what your opinions are, you can talk about books and find some commonalities.
Shes missed seeing strangers make connections at the store.
I just love listening to a group of college kids talk about books, Thompson said. Here are people who are different and would never have engaged before, and theyre sharing and giving recommendations. They would not be in the same friend circles for any other reason, but theyre in the store at the same time. They share a passion for reading, and it pushes us to think differently, right? It pushes us to think about being in someone elses shoes.
She said without many different people coming together, The Nook would not have been able to reopen.
We have a wonderful community of downtown business owners, Thompson said. You can count on each other when you need it. Our community is amazing. I cant even tell you how many people reached out to me and to us not just to me but to my entire team. My team is phenomenal and has adapted so well. They stayed with me, they got me through all this, and I thank them.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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