A vital piece of Grand Rapids‘ East Hills neighborhood is preparing to say goodbye.
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Books & Mortar, the “fiercely independent” bookstore known for its vibrant curation and community focus, will officially close its doors in just a few weeks.
A Decade of Community on Cherry Street
The announcement marks the end of a ten-year journey fore the store. Books & Mortar was originally launched in 2016 by Jonathan Shotwell and Christopher Roe at 955 Cherry Street SE. In November 2018, current owner Jenny Kinne took over, steering the business through years of growth and big industry shifts.
Many local book lovers will remember 2021, when the bookstore expanded and moved across the street to its current home at 966 Cherry Street SE. In an awesome display of local spirit, dozens of volunteers showed up for a “book brigade,” forming a human chain and passing thousands of books hand-to-hand across the asphalt to fill the new shelves.
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That human chain was a good metaphor for what the shop aspired to be: a community gathering place, an advocacy hub, and a welcoming third space.
Why Books & Mortar is Closing
But keeping an independent bookstore alive requires a lot of unseen heavy lifting. In a pair of candid letters to the community, Kinne shared the real, human toll behind the decision to close, opening up about total burnout and financial sacrifice…