Glenside Book Garden, located at 10 E Glenside Avenue, officially opened for business on October 17.
The new living-room style bookshop offers a selection of classics, favorites, and current bestsellers. Owner and Glenside native Shawn Pistorino said the first month has been a success, with more facets coming soon.
“We’re still in a soft opening phase. We have a lounge coming to the back room, so I didn’t want to have a grand opening without that space so there’s more freedom of movement. All the romance books will be back there,” Pistorino said, noting that on Small Business Saturday (November 28) the lounge’s unveiling will coincide with a grand opening.
“The first 20 customers will get a tote bag. We may have a hot chocolate bar in the earlier part of the day, and then maybe move on to cocktails for the back half. I haven’t hashed out all the plans, but there will be lots of fun stuff,” she said.
Nearby residents—along with the occasional furry friend—have been showing up in droves, especially on Fridays.
“Without fail, the first people in the door are a family. The kids get really excited when they pick out a book,” she said. “I’m a big fan of dogs, so we’re dog friendly. It’s great to get little visitors. My only rule is, ‘You chew it, you buy it.'”
“We’ve been slammed all day today. There are pockets when it’s packed, then it’s quiet for an hour, then another group of 20 show up,” she said. “It’s great, because I’m able to reposition certain things during that down time. It all works out.”
So far, Glenside Book Garden’s staff has consisted of Pistorino and more Pistorino (though she expects that to change soon). The onboarding process, however, was a team effort.
“I relied on my wonderful neighbors in terms of the physical aspects of the shop, like making sure things don’t fall off the walls. It was a wonderful group effort to organize the books. Our neighborhood’s teens were here before we opened helping me out,” she said. “I don’t want to burn out, so I plan on hiring an employee or two. I have some people in mind.”
An author liaison who will oversee events is in the works, as are book clubs, book swaps, and more.
“I want events to be a big part of what we do here. I hope to have at least two events by the end of the year, but the lion’s share will come in 2027,” she said. “If people want to rent the space for a private event, we’ll do that. Other book clubs can be hosted here for any given evening.”
For Pistorino, all of the hard work—which involved a labor-intensive gutting of the space’s interior over the summer—has been well worth it.
“I’m stoked that this is happening. This was always the end game for me. I didn’t want it to be anywhere else. The right time and the right place came along, and I took it,” she said. “The best part has been meeting new people and reconnecting with others I haven’t seen in forever, some of whom I grew up with. I can’t wait for the shop to become a neighborhood mainstay. Everyone is welcome any time.”
Glenside Book Garden will be open through the holidays, and following its grand opening, Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be in the mix as well.
Soft Opening Hours:
- Thurs 10am-5pm
- Fri 10am-6pm
- Sat 10am-6pm
- Sun 10am-4pm
- Closed Mon-Tues-Wed (temporarily)
For more on Glenside Book Garden, you can visit their website, Facebook page and Instagram page.
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