ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A new family will soon be at the helm of north side bookshop, Booksweet.
The independent store on Plymouth Road went up for sale in May when co-founders Truly Render and Shaun Manning decided life was leading them elsewhere.
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Booksweet’s new owners are spouses Darcy Rhoden and Casey Thacker, Rhoden’s father Del Rhoden, and sibling Louis Rhoden.
“I’ve been a customer at Booksweet for years, and am thrilled to keep Booksweet in Ann Arbor. It is such a special place to us. We can’t wait to build upon what Shaun and Truly have created, and continue to engage within the community that we call home,” Darcy Rhoden said in a statement.
The Rhoden/Thacker family will take over the store on July 1. It was sold turnkey and includes training for the new owners, so readers can continue to shop and use their Booksweet gift cards.
“We announced the shop was for sale on May 1 and we were blown away by the response of so many interested buyers,” said Manning. “We knew we had a great fit when the Rhoden / Thacker family started to talk about the books they were currently reading. They get excited about books in the way our readers have come to love: informed but also accessible and fun.”
Nothing will change about the store’s branding, name and values, according to a statement.
“We also loved how eager the Rhoden / Thacker family is to meet our community programming partners and forge their own deep relationships. Booksweet has come to be known as a place for true community connection. When you shop here, you’re investing in yourself and in each other – and the new owners really celebrate that ethos,” said Render.
Booksweet visitors will see the new owners in the bookstore as they go through training in June as they go through training.
Learn more about the new owners here.