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Booky Joint turns three, again |
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Saturday, 04 July 2009 |
By Erick Sugimura
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
 Mammoth Times Photo/Erick Sugimura. David Leonard and Booky Joint celebrate three years since its reopening.
But David Leonard and his business partner felt that Mammoth needed a book store. Taking the same location, they were able to acquire the name and not only rebuild the store’s selection, but expand and improve on it.
“I think business has grown as well as you can possibly expect, considering the economy,” Leonard said of the last three years.
According to Leonard, the successful reboot of the store is mainly due to the support and patronage of the local book-loving community.
“We did a lot of work to update the look and the operation of the store,” Leonard said. “We also focused on building up the Children’s section because the love of reading starts at a young age.”
Leonard has also been building relations with his neighbors and, for example, is offering a coupon for a half-price margarita at nearby Giovanni’s Restaurant with every Spanish-English dictionary sold on July 4 this year.
The dictionaries had been over-ordered and it seemed a good way to send business to a neighbor while moving some books, Leonard said. “We’re trying to work together and help each other out within the mall.”
Leonard has noticed an increase in the store’s sales of children’s books, toys and games, so he has stocked up for the summer.
As the revitalized Booky Joint begins its fourth year, Leonard looks forward to the summer crowds.
“I’m really optimistic for this summer.” Leonard has spoken with some of his neighbors, such as at Giovanni’s and Color Me Mine, and said that the feeling is shared. “Since Memorial Day, sales have been up on last years’.”
Leonard has also been receiving requests to open earlier, so the store will be opening its doors an hour earlier at 9 a.m. throughout the summer.
“Last summer was really good and we were, in theory, in the worst part of the recession,” Leonard said. He credits Mammoth’s proximity to Southern California as a big part of that, considering the fact that people are taking more economical vacations and staying a little closer to home.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 13 July 2009 )
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