Downtown book co-op to open this week

Nov. 1, 2018

It was $10,000 or nothing.

That was the goal set on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for Full Circle Book Co-op.

If the community raised it, founders Jason Kurtz and Sion Lidster would have the needed dollars to help get their new venture going.

If the total came up $9,999.99, they got zero from their campaign.

“We were nail biting,” Kurtz said.

The worry proved unnecessary. They ultimately raised more than $12,700.

“We were more thankful than surprised,” Kurtz said. “We’ve been building our community.”

Their community of area writers and readers will get a first look at the new space Friday, when Full Circle Book Co-op opens in the former Hydra Beer Hall space at 125 W. 10th  St.

Part of the space sells books from regional authors as well as used books, with a bar that will offer beer, wine, soft drinks and some food.

“We’re marketing it as the largest selection of local authors in the region,” Kurtz said.

“And we’ll have a huge selection of used books.”

The menu will be limited to start but expand as the team gets more comfortable with the kitchen.

The extra influx of funding allowed the founders to buy initial inventory, renovate the kitchen and create a “scriptorium.”

“Monks used to have a scriptorium in monasteries where they would do all their writing,” Kurtz explained.

The space at Full Circle Book Co-op that’s designated for writing can accommodate about one dozen writers and be booked for groups.

“We had been promising it for a year and a half, but we thought it would be phase two. And now we have it,” Kurtz said.

It leads to an additional event space that will include an exhibit from a featured local artist that will change monthly.

“We have tons of events booked already,” Kurtz said.

Events will include writers’ happy hours and a featured local vendor on Saturdays.

“We’re trying to make it a community space as much as we can,” Kurtz said.

The grand opening Friday will include live jazz at 7 p.m.

Hours for Full Circle Book Co-op will be 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

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Downtown book co-op to open this week

Full Circle Book Co-op is ready to open in downtown Sioux Falls.

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