After three years at 107 N. Hamilton St., Lake City Books is moving across the Square into brand new digs at 120 S. Carroll St., around the corner from Wonderstate Coffee.

The current space will remain open for shopping as buildout continues. The new store is expected to open in July.

It’s been a whirlwind for founder and owner Molly Fish. Fish brings years of bookselling experience in both Chicago and Madison to the venture. She opened Lake City after noticing the lack of both bookstores and independent businesses downtown, post pandemic. Fish wanted to reach book lovers living or working on the isthmus, along with tourists drawn to the Capitol and university. When she found her original location nestled between lakes Monona and Mendota, Fish adopted the Lake City moniker in their honor.

Since opening its doors in April 2023, the store has become a vibrant part of the city’s literary community, with book clubs (which cover everything from fantasy epics to cozy mysteries) and an extensive children’s section. Readers can browse new releases, works by local authors, a curated selection of used books, and UK-exclusive releases that can’t be found anywhere else in Madison. It’s also an event space, both for public author readings and private rentals like baby showers for book-loving parents-to-be.

Lake City’s continued growth meant the store “hit the ceiling,” as Fish puts it, on what was possible in the Hamilton Street space. When it was time to consider renewing the lease, Fish met with developer Urban Land Interests to scout other downtown locations. The Carroll Street location will offer more room to comfortably accommodate larger crowds.

There will also be an outdoor patio and wine bar, which Fish hopes will “provide a richer experience” for customers, whether they’re coming to browse or discuss books with friends. Fish is working with Andrea Hillsey from Square Wine Company to build the menu, and looks forward to the social element that “will bring a lot of life to the store during the day.” With double the square footage of the original location, Lake City will be able to increase its gift and book inventory by at least 50%.

That’s heartening news in the wake of so much instability in the bookselling industry. Big box stores once posed a significant threat to independent shops, then online retailers, then the rise of e- and audio books — all were expected to lower demand for in-person shopping for printed matter, yet independent bookstores are hanging in there. While recent years have seen the shuttering of several beloved bookstores in Madison, due to rising rent and owner retirements, other bookstores, such as Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe, Ink and Ivy, and Sun Prairie’s Prairie Pages, have opened, suggesting that customers still crave the face to face interactions, and personal recommendations, that stores like Lake City provide.

Fish stresses that Lake City will still be staffed by “your friendly neighborhood book nerds, just with more space to spread out.” One of the new additions that will surely inspire every visitor’s inner Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a 36-foot-long row of bookcases with a rolling ladder. “It will be truly a dream come true to see that every day and enjoy everyone’s reactions when they walk in,” Fish says.

Those looking to stay up-to-date on the renovations and new opening can subscribe to the store’s newsletter or follow along on its Instagram account, @lakecity.books. There are expected to be expanded hours at the new location in order to make the most of the wine bar addition. Pet owners will be happy to learn that the store will remain open to four-legged visitors and its mascot, Bowie, Fish’s one-and-a-half year old rescue pup, will continue to fulfill his “paw”-selling duties in exchange for regular head pats.

Fish looks forward to continuing to be part of Madison’s “rich community of bookstores and supportive readers.” Amid so much uncertainty and division in the wider world, places that foster cultural participation are a sustaining part of any dynamic city. With this expansion, Lake City Books will be — in Fish’s words — “the bookstore downtown Madison deserves!” n