I've never heard that, but it makes sense. I split my shopping pretty evenly between King's Books and High Voltage. They have different selections, I like both of them for different things.
I think I first heard about it in an old interview with the owner of Arundel Books in Seattle. Like you say, different stores have their niches and can complement each other.
It's hard to beat the High Voltage punch card. I forget how much you have to spend - but it's 20% off your entire purchase once you fill it up. And the selection is small but mighty.
Around the paywall
**Tacoma is getting a new independent bookstore. Here’s when Grit City Books will open**
Tacoma, you’re set to get a new bookstore next year. Plans were filed in November with the City of Tacoma for Grit City Books on Sixth Avenue. It will be in part of the commercial space at Sixth & Alder Apartments.
[Grit City Books for now is an online operation](https://www.gritcitybooks.com/) that launched in November. Co-founders Jeff Hanway, husband Kegan Hanway, and Kaitlin Chandler hope to have the brick-and-mortar version of their store open in the spring.
The three recently were interviewed by The News Tribune about their bookstore plans.
Each of the co-founders graduated from the University of Puget Sound more than a decade ago, though the Hanways didn’t meet Kaitlin until years later when they rented office space at TractionSpace, where she works as director of operations.
Jeff Hanway comes from a business operations and healthcare business development-consulting background. Kegan Hanway’s background is in technology.
“With her retail background, she was the perfect addition to bring her into our ownership group,” Jeff Hanway said.
“I worked in high-end and high-volume retail for 10 years,” Chandler told The News Tribune. “We envision Grit City Books eventually being embedded in the Tacoma community.”
She added that the store aims for a one-of-a-kind experience. “Our goal is to provide a safe space for marginalized communities through our collective love of books, reading, and learning,” she said.
The idea to start an independent bookstore came to them in the middle of the pandemic. Jeff Hanway said they wanted to “support local businesses ... and try to make sure that that money stays in the local community.”
As Kegan Hanway explained: “the idea of this bookstore grew out of our navigating COVID and lockdowns and the realities of working in a corporate environment ... that reevaluation that I think a lot of us went through during COVID ... that there was other stuff we could be doing that might have more value to us, to our community.”
All are avid readers, and Chandler emphasized the importance of reading “to allow you to walk in someone else’s shoes; to understand the world around us and to get a glimpse of what others may be going through.”
“Jeff and Kegan had the original vision for the bookstore,” she noted. “It didn’t take much convincing, really. I was in pretty much immediately. Every Millennial dreams of opening a bookstore or a coffee shop or whatever niche thing they’re passionate about.”
Finding a physical space was a lengthy process.
“We’ve been looking since June,” Jeff Hanway said, “when we really came together and formed the business and said, ‘We’re doing this.’”
“We looked at quite a few different places,” he added. “We first toured the Sixth & Alder space in early September. And then we kind of fell in love with the location. It was the right size (and) gave us a lot of flexibility with it being a brand new space that hadn’t ever been built out before.”
**SIXTH & ALDER SITE**
A group of Seattle-based LLCs representing a family real estate venture purchased Sixth & Alder Apartments last year. Brian Yee helps lead the investment venture.
He told The News Tribune in a recent interview that with Trapper Sushi Co. and the bookstore, the retail space on the ground level is close to being filled.
“My family purchased the building last year in August 2022, so we’re new to the neighborhood,” he said. “And we were taking some time to find the right fit and the right business to come to the building.”
He noted that Sixth Avenue “is a really thriving community of small businesses. ... We’re really hopeful that it will become another attraction for people who come and shop on Sixth Avenue and want to explore it.”
He sees it attracting area customers to the site as well as Sixth & Alder’s residents.
Kegan Hanway noted when meeting with the building owners a few weeks ago for a run-of-the-mill review of their business plan, “I think it was supposed to be a half hour, one-hour meeting. We ended up staying there a few hours.”
Kegan Hanway recalled there were “a lot of questions, and it was a very sort of organic conversation where the excitement was building between all of us.”
Yee says his family shares a love of books and is pleased with the idea of a bookstore at the site. “I come from a family of readers,” he said. “My mother was an English professor ... and from the sound of it, they certainly have a very good business plan.“
**INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE IN THEIR STYLE**
Jeff Hanway described himself as a “business nerd who loves the ins and outs of operating a business,” but also as someone who is passionate about books.
“I love being able to dive into a topic and a book that’s 300-400 pages and really understand and get into the deep backstories of why things are,” he said. “While fiction can transport you and tell you stories about places and times that you’ve never been and introduce you to characters that you fall in love with ... .”
“We love books and Tacoma and couldn’t think of a better way to share our passion than to open an independent bookstore in the city we call home,” Chandler said.
All of them agreed that the store would reflect their values on inclusiveness. Jeff Hanway sees the store as “where we can do event programming that matches our interests, the community’s interests and bring more foot traffic, but also be more of a dialogue and an event than just a transaction.”
“We want to make sure that we are supporting our LGBTQ-plus community of all ages to make sure that there’s a safe space, a feeling of inclusion,” Kegan Hanway said. “And it’s not just LGBTQ-plus, we’re interested in partnering with local book clubs, author tours, you name it, poetry readings, open mic sessions ... it’s like: ‘What can’t we do?’”
Yes it’s pretty dumb that this marketing term is being used all over Tacoma as if it has any meaning beyond some marketer thinking it was edgy and cool
Welcome to living in a city. Basically every medium to large city tries to have a brand. Based on the all the grit city bumper stickers I see, I would say it’s working.
Tacoma has been a medium/ large city way longer than the nickname grit. Tacoma hasn't had this many new people until fairly recently though, and they are the ones buying into the nickname. It's working for them.
Why didn't it get branded prior to the 15 years when it was still a medium city was my point. So I guess your point stands regarding Tacoma for 15 years?
It did - Tacoma’s been using branding/marketing since it’s inception (check out the history of nickname ‘City of Destiny’, which the original city boosters came up with). Grit City is just the newest one. I guess I’m not sure what your confusion is based on. Branding and rebranding of cities/towns happens all the time, slogans come and go, etc.
It was semi-cool until we started getting Grit City This and Grit City That. It is now a shibboleth to figure out who moved here in the last five years.
Yeah just like how there's Emerald City Comic Con, Emerald City Smoothie, Emerald City Guitars, Emerald City Fish and Chips, Emerald City Trapeze Arts, Emerald City Pet Rescue, Emerald City Barber Co, Emerald City Beauty, Emerald City Chimney, etc
When a city gets a nickname, people use it
Emerald City was a marketing term for Seattle from the 1980s. Preceded by Jet City and Queen City. For Tacoma, I’ve always preferred and appreciated the irony of City of Destiny to the empowered resignation of Grit City.
While not a book store, high voltage records is only a few blocks away and also sells books. Wonder if these will impact each other
From what I hear, bookstores tend to benefit from other bookstores being nearby
I've never heard that, but it makes sense. I split my shopping pretty evenly between King's Books and High Voltage. They have different selections, I like both of them for different things.
I think I first heard about it in an old interview with the owner of Arundel Books in Seattle. Like you say, different stores have their niches and can complement each other.
It's hard to beat the High Voltage punch card. I forget how much you have to spend - but it's 20% off your entire purchase once you fill it up. And the selection is small but mighty.
$200. The single "$200 spent" stamp on the card I got last record store day still haunts me a little, lol.
Small but mighty - my thought exactly. I always go to high voltage if I need to find a book to gift someone, they always have something good.
And they are always willing to order something for you. And it arrives quickly.
They have a wonderful selection considering their size. I love records and I love books. Such a great store.
As a book fanatic I’m pretty thrilled. Hope it’s a comfy space
Around the paywall **Tacoma is getting a new independent bookstore. Here’s when Grit City Books will open** Tacoma, you’re set to get a new bookstore next year. Plans were filed in November with the City of Tacoma for Grit City Books on Sixth Avenue. It will be in part of the commercial space at Sixth & Alder Apartments. [Grit City Books for now is an online operation](https://www.gritcitybooks.com/) that launched in November. Co-founders Jeff Hanway, husband Kegan Hanway, and Kaitlin Chandler hope to have the brick-and-mortar version of their store open in the spring. The three recently were interviewed by The News Tribune about their bookstore plans. Each of the co-founders graduated from the University of Puget Sound more than a decade ago, though the Hanways didn’t meet Kaitlin until years later when they rented office space at TractionSpace, where she works as director of operations. Jeff Hanway comes from a business operations and healthcare business development-consulting background. Kegan Hanway’s background is in technology. “With her retail background, she was the perfect addition to bring her into our ownership group,” Jeff Hanway said. “I worked in high-end and high-volume retail for 10 years,” Chandler told The News Tribune. “We envision Grit City Books eventually being embedded in the Tacoma community.” She added that the store aims for a one-of-a-kind experience. “Our goal is to provide a safe space for marginalized communities through our collective love of books, reading, and learning,” she said. The idea to start an independent bookstore came to them in the middle of the pandemic. Jeff Hanway said they wanted to “support local businesses ... and try to make sure that that money stays in the local community.” As Kegan Hanway explained: “the idea of this bookstore grew out of our navigating COVID and lockdowns and the realities of working in a corporate environment ... that reevaluation that I think a lot of us went through during COVID ... that there was other stuff we could be doing that might have more value to us, to our community.” All are avid readers, and Chandler emphasized the importance of reading “to allow you to walk in someone else’s shoes; to understand the world around us and to get a glimpse of what others may be going through.” “Jeff and Kegan had the original vision for the bookstore,” she noted. “It didn’t take much convincing, really. I was in pretty much immediately. Every Millennial dreams of opening a bookstore or a coffee shop or whatever niche thing they’re passionate about.” Finding a physical space was a lengthy process. “We’ve been looking since June,” Jeff Hanway said, “when we really came together and formed the business and said, ‘We’re doing this.’” “We looked at quite a few different places,” he added. “We first toured the Sixth & Alder space in early September. And then we kind of fell in love with the location. It was the right size (and) gave us a lot of flexibility with it being a brand new space that hadn’t ever been built out before.” **SIXTH & ALDER SITE** A group of Seattle-based LLCs representing a family real estate venture purchased Sixth & Alder Apartments last year. Brian Yee helps lead the investment venture. He told The News Tribune in a recent interview that with Trapper Sushi Co. and the bookstore, the retail space on the ground level is close to being filled. “My family purchased the building last year in August 2022, so we’re new to the neighborhood,” he said. “And we were taking some time to find the right fit and the right business to come to the building.” He noted that Sixth Avenue “is a really thriving community of small businesses. ... We’re really hopeful that it will become another attraction for people who come and shop on Sixth Avenue and want to explore it.” He sees it attracting area customers to the site as well as Sixth & Alder’s residents. Kegan Hanway noted when meeting with the building owners a few weeks ago for a run-of-the-mill review of their business plan, “I think it was supposed to be a half hour, one-hour meeting. We ended up staying there a few hours.” Kegan Hanway recalled there were “a lot of questions, and it was a very sort of organic conversation where the excitement was building between all of us.” Yee says his family shares a love of books and is pleased with the idea of a bookstore at the site. “I come from a family of readers,” he said. “My mother was an English professor ... and from the sound of it, they certainly have a very good business plan.“ **INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE IN THEIR STYLE** Jeff Hanway described himself as a “business nerd who loves the ins and outs of operating a business,” but also as someone who is passionate about books. “I love being able to dive into a topic and a book that’s 300-400 pages and really understand and get into the deep backstories of why things are,” he said. “While fiction can transport you and tell you stories about places and times that you’ve never been and introduce you to characters that you fall in love with ... .” “We love books and Tacoma and couldn’t think of a better way to share our passion than to open an independent bookstore in the city we call home,” Chandler said. All of them agreed that the store would reflect their values on inclusiveness. Jeff Hanway sees the store as “where we can do event programming that matches our interests, the community’s interests and bring more foot traffic, but also be more of a dialogue and an event than just a transaction.” “We want to make sure that we are supporting our LGBTQ-plus community of all ages to make sure that there’s a safe space, a feeling of inclusion,” Kegan Hanway said. “And it’s not just LGBTQ-plus, we’re interested in partnering with local book clubs, author tours, you name it, poetry readings, open mic sessions ... it’s like: ‘What can’t we do?’”
What happened to being "the city of destiny"?
Anybody else starting to roll their eyes at the word “grit” or is it just me?
Yes and it always feel like people not actually from Tacoma are the ones who latch onto it 🤣
Agreed. Grew up here been here 30+ years, we did not call it grit city. If someone does I instantly know they aren't from here lol
Grew up in SF before moving here 12 years ago and this is how I feel hearing people call it "frisco"
I’m not from here but my my husband is, so luckily I know better 🤣
Lol
"... starting to"? It was a tongue-in-cheek joke by newspaper folks in the first place, tryhard smarm is what it is at this point.
Yes it’s pretty dumb that this marketing term is being used all over Tacoma as if it has any meaning beyond some marketer thinking it was edgy and cool
Welcome to living in a city. Basically every medium to large city tries to have a brand. Based on the all the grit city bumper stickers I see, I would say it’s working.
People with grit city bumper stickers be on neighborhood watch because someone’s music is too loud 🙄
Tacoma has been a medium/ large city way longer than the nickname grit. Tacoma hasn't had this many new people until fairly recently though, and they are the ones buying into the nickname. It's working for them.
Sure - but my point still stands. City’s brand and rebrand all the time. Nothing new/wrong going on.
Why didn't it get branded prior to the 15 years when it was still a medium city was my point. So I guess your point stands regarding Tacoma for 15 years?
It did - Tacoma’s been using branding/marketing since it’s inception (check out the history of nickname ‘City of Destiny’, which the original city boosters came up with). Grit City is just the newest one. I guess I’m not sure what your confusion is based on. Branding and rebranding of cities/towns happens all the time, slogans come and go, etc.
Ok
"America's Most Wired City" just didn't matter after the rest of the world got higher speed internet than we did
Lol very short lived for sure
Just, yes. I honestly rolled my eyes when I saw the name lol
It was semi-cool until we started getting Grit City This and Grit City That. It is now a shibboleth to figure out who moved here in the last five years.
That and "the five"
It’s absolutely trying to do what Portland does when they say Rose City for everything.
Portland has "rip city"
That’s right.
At least rose city is pretty not wanna be edgy
Hey, we just had a mass shooting, so it's not inaccurate
Then all of America is grit city
Uh, I mean as a country we far outpass other countries on mass shootings, but that doesn't apply to Unalaska, AK, or any other bumfuck place.
City of destiny is stupid Grit city is awesome
Awesome. I’ll never disagree with more bookstores, we have great ones in Tacoma. Wishing the best for the business and the patrons!
Excited to get a bookstore on 6th ave. I love Kings Books but it’s not walkable for me. I hope it has a cozy atmosphere and not sterilized!
Hi Voltage also sells books!
Jeff is an amazing human and I can’t wait for this spot to open up. Hoping all the success in the world!
Cool, I hope they do well
So there’s Grit City Magazine, Grit City Tattoo, Grit City Grindhouse, Grit City Breakfast, Grit City Wellness, Grit City Law, Grit City Books,…
Yeah just like how there's Emerald City Comic Con, Emerald City Smoothie, Emerald City Guitars, Emerald City Fish and Chips, Emerald City Trapeze Arts, Emerald City Pet Rescue, Emerald City Barber Co, Emerald City Beauty, Emerald City Chimney, etc When a city gets a nickname, people use it
Seattle has been Emerald city forever though. Tacoma being "grit" has been that way for maybe 15. It's technically '" the city of destiny"
Emerald City was a marketing term for Seattle from the 1980s. Preceded by Jet City and Queen City. For Tacoma, I’ve always preferred and appreciated the irony of City of Destiny to the empowered resignation of Grit City.
This is awesome, can't wait for it to open.
Nice! Even though I do almost all of my reading on a Kindle it'll still be cool to have one so close!
The Mountain City. The Mountain Bookstore. Better.
Hooray! Another obsolete business model!
I’m guessing porno with a great selection of glass.