Meet Jenny Kelley, the powerhouse behind Bookish Boutique in Panama City, Florida, who just celebrated her store’s one-year anniversary. And get this – she opened her doors a mere 25 days after finding the perfect space!

“Let’s Just Do It”

Jenny didn’t grow up with cute indie bookstores. Like most of us, her bookstore experiences were limited to chains like Books-A-Million and Borders. But after joining a local book club, she kept hearing the same complaint: 

“Everyone was just talking about how they had to travel to other places for independent bookstores.”

She knew opening a bookstore wouldn’t be easy (hello, notoriously tiny profit margins!), so she started working with a business coach to explore what it might look like… someday. Then fate stepped in.

“I randomly saw the building for lease that we’re in now,” Jenny told me, practically bubbling with excitement. “It was built in the 1930s, and it has the original Chipley brick in it. Everything is original, and it’s located in the cutest little historic downtown on the water.”

The moment she saw it, she knew. She immediately called her fiancé, who (bless his heart) was supportive but understandably concerned about her sudden decision.

Jenny wasn’t interested in creating another cookie-cutter corporate bookstore. 

“I want something very edgy, very feminine. I love pink. I love wine. I love books. Let’s just do it,” she told him.

What happened next is wild. Jenny opened Bookish Boutique in just 25 days. 

“It was the most stressful 25 days of my life,” she admitted. 

Her fiancé and father-in-law worked nights after she took care of the kids during the day. They hired seven staff members and transformed the space into the vibrant bookstore of her dreams.

Creating a Vibe That Amazon Can’t Touch

When I asked about her mission, Jenny lit right up. 

“I went on a local magazine podcast over in the Destin area of Florida, and they put my episode out and named it ‘Creating Community One Book at a Time,’ and that was kind of just what really is now our mission statement.”

The community response? Absolutely amazing. Because while everyone orders from Amazon (let’s be real), what people really crave is a place that feels like a community – a vibe that online shopping just can’t deliver.

How She Makes the Numbers Work

How does an independent bookstore actually stay profitable when even the big chains are struggling?

Jenny doesn’t mince words: 

“The biggest thing that I would recommend to anybody is don’t ignore all of the inventory reports that you have access to.” 

She constantly monitors what’s selling, and what’s not, and adjusts accordingly. But here’s her real secret is diversification, similar to the owner of Hudson Valley for Humanity. 

“The reason why we have a large gift section – mugs, apparel, Kindle accessories – is because the profit margins on those are a lot higher than the books.”

Their bestseller in the gift section? Blind Dates with a Book, available every weekend. 

“People may not necessarily need to come in and buy a book. They just want to come in and have the experience,” Jenny explained.

And speaking of experiences, Bookish Boutique just added the coolest new feature on its one-year anniversary: a wine bar! While many bookstores go the coffee route, Jenny wanted something different.

“It’s just that additional layer of experience when you come in,” she explained. “You come in with your girlfriend, shop around, and nerd out over this book that you’re pointing to on the shelf, and then get to come sit on our pink couch and have a glass of wine and just hang out.”

By pure coincidence, a coffee shop moved in next door, creating the perfect complementary business.

Custom Merch You Can’t Resist

What is one thing that makes Bookish Boutique special? Jenny’s background was actually in graphic t-shirts. 

“We make all our apparel in-house,” she shared, which means they can create custom merchandise for every genre.

And despite the pink aesthetic that might make you think “romance only,” Bookish Boutique carries all genres. 

“One of our genres that does really well for us, and this was a little bit of a surprise to me, is thriller,” Jenny revealed.

Their in-house production means they can quickly create designs for whatever’s trending. Want an “In My Hockey Romance Era” shirt or a “Smut University” sweatshirt? (I know I do!) They’ve got you covered.

Supporting Indie Authors Through Their Book Club

While Bookish Boutique hosts community book clubs, they also run their own monthly club with a cool twist: they focus on indie authors.

“It was really cool. We actually got to do a Zoom call with one of the authors that we chose for one month,” Jenny shared. “Sometimes I feel like you forget when you’re reading a book that these authors are still just normal people. She was literally watching a hockey game before the Zoom and had her hockey jersey on!”

Jenny loves that indie authors have more flexibility to connect directly with readers. And as she points out, today’s indie author might be tomorrow’s Colleen Hoover – remember when she was self-published before BookTok discovered her?

Advice for Book Lovers With Big Dreams

For anyone dreaming of opening their own bookstore someday, Jenny doesn’t sugarcoat it – it’s hard work, but so worth it.

“You’re going to have a lot of people that will probably tell you that it’s not doable or possible. Anything is possible as long as you work really hard and do the research.”

Her top recommendation? Join the American Booksellers Association. 

“There’s so much information. It’s a little bit overwhelming, so you kind of just have to go through things piece by piece, but those people that have this vision.”

She also suggests starting as a pop-up at weekend markets before diving into a physical location. 

“That way, when you do open, people already know about you, and you have that community support that you need to continue to grow,” Jenny explained. “I was told by banks this isn’t going to work, that this is not a thriving community. You just have to find the people that understand and appreciate your vision.”

The Secret Sauce of Social Media and the Local Community

Jenny credits two things to Bookish Boutique thriving for a year when so many bookstores fail: a strong social media presence and creating that community feel.

“My main role is our social media accounts, and we’re very active on all of them,” she explained. “I was already growing our social media accounts before we even opened our doors.”

But beyond the Instagram posts, it’s about creating an experience you can’t get from clicking “add to cart.” “Your customers can literally shop anywhere. They don’t even have to leave their house to buy books. So if you’re not giving them something more than that, it’s going to be very difficult to continue your growth.”

Jenny’s excited to see more independent bookstores opening despite the challenges. 

“I think things are changing for us independent bookstore owners, and that makes me really happy.”

For book lovers everywhere, her message is simple.

“If you can support indie bookstores, just do your best to. We really try to play our part in the book community, but in order for us to do that, we definitely have to get support from fellow book lovers out there.”

If you’re ever in Panama City, Florida, you know where to go! That famous pink couch and a glass of wine are waiting for you at Bookish Boutique. And yes, I’m already planning my road trip.