Since purchasing Inklings Book Shoppe (formerly Book Bazaar) in 2020, Finley and Carmen Walker have been searching for the bookstore’s forever home.
First, they moved the business from South Combee Road to 243 N. Florida Ave., on the edge of downtown Lakeland, in January 2023.
Now they’re in the process of another move, to 737 S. Missouri Ave., across the street from Hillcrest Coffee, in Dixieland.
The downtown shop has been a success. “The location’s been incredible,” Finley said.
“Our customer visitation more than doubled. Our gross revenue from Combee doubled at the Florida location, and it’s half the size. For square footage, we quadrupled the effectiveness of the space.”
The Walkers expanded the bookstore’s business. Along with used books, the inventory now includes new, antique, and high-end books such as collectibles and first editions.
They’ve also added games, puzzles and local artworks and they’re planning for “Books and Bricks” to bring Legos into the mix.
“We’ve loved being downtown. We’re going to miss it,” Finley said, “but we love Dixieland, too… If I could have a store in both places, I would.”
Old home, new digs: Inklings’ new building in Dixieland was originally a single-family home built more than 100 years ago. It also has been a real estate office and, most recently, Cheatwood Chiropractic.
The building’s current owner, Chris Cheatwood, is letting the Walkers lease to purchase, making owning their property finally feasible.
“This is what we originally dreamed of,” Finley said, “a historic-type home, to convert into this bookstore — a legacy bookstore.”
Inklings’ plan to convert the vacant chiropractic office was approved by the Lakeland Planning & Zoning Board May 20. It needs final approval by the City Commission. The first reading is scheduled on Monday, June 2.
The Walkers plan to open the Dixieland location on July 1.
“We think we can make something very beautiful here,” Finley said.
More Dixieland changes: Inklings is not the only change coming to that block of South Missouri Avenue. Recently, Guy A. Remodeling finished work on two single-family homes directly north of the soon-to-be Inklings.
Guy Afriat said that because the homes were in such bad shape, he would have demolished and rebuilt from the ground up, but as part of Dixieland’s historic district, the existing exteriors could not be modified.
Instead, his company built support systems to buttress the walls as they rebuilt from the inside out.
“We surgically removed every wood beam and replaced it with another,” he said.
The completed houses are stunning.