A Gem in Georgetown

LARK & OWL BOOKSELLERS CREATES A WARM SPACE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS

By Rachel Strickland | Photos courtesy of LARK & OWL

Located in historic downtown Georgetown, Lark & Owl Booksellers is a woman-owned, independent bookstore that strives to not only supply the community with great reads, but also to create a diverse and inclusive atmosphere for everyone who enters.

Jane Estes, co-founder and general manager of Lark & Owl, says that the idea to open the store came to her after another local bookstore in downtown Georgetown closed, leaving the town without a bookstore for several years. Estes had connections with some authors from the work that she’d done with the Writers’ League of Texas, and she frequently invited them to her own authors’ events that rotated at different people’s homes. These events were wildly successful, and she eventually realized that it was up to her to open a bookstore that could not only replace the one that had closed years ago, but also house events for the community. So, she reached out to nine other women that she knew in the Georgetown area, and together, they founded Lark & Owl Booksellers.

Estes and two co-founders, Rachael Jonrowe and Misty Adair, are the only ones still actively involved in the store. Jonrowe was on the Georgetown City Council for 10 years, Adair has a background in art, and Estes has a writing background. Estes wrote an arts column and feature articles for a newspaper in Georgetown for eight years, as well as volunteering for the Writer’s League of Texas, where she helped facilitate classes and assisted with workshops, among other things.

Lark & Owl’s book buyer, Christina Marroquin, chooses the books that are on the shelves at the store. She has a degree in literature and a history in the book industry. “She’s wonderful,” Estes says. “We were really lucky to get her.” It’s important to everyone at Lark & Owl to stock books that are representative of people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and races — both the authors and the main characters in the stories. “We set out from day one to show on our shelves that people of all backgrounds are represented here,” Estes says.

She adds that they have plenty of artwork on the walls that represent people of different colors, and many customers remark on that.

“Teachers come here to get artwork for their classrooms because they want art that looks like their students in their classroom,” Estes says. “And that’s really moving to be able to help other people show that their community is seen. We’re committed to making sure that people know we have thrown the doors open and everyone’s welcome.”

The folks at Lark & Owl love getting the community involved in literary pursuits in any way that they can. They host children’s story times, open-mic poetry and prose nights, book launches, and seven monthly book clubs so that everyone can find something to suit their reading tastes. They also do community partnerships with local businesses, such as the Pride and Puppies parade that they hosted in June with Wag Heaven, a local pet supply store.

Lark & Owl is committed to hiring diversely, and they have people from all different backgrounds and walks of life working at the store. According to Estes, some of their employees have been in the education or social media management industries, while others are younger and just starting out. There is even a pastor from a local church who works at the bookstore and runs some of the monthly book clubs.
Like most bookstores, Lark & Owl offers extra goods like candles and stickers, which, in the book industry, are called sidelines. Estes says that Lark & Owl’s sidelines do exceptionally well. They have everything from jewelry to socks to house plants and greeting cards. They also have unique items like ceramics from Portugal and other places around the world. “We try to carry things that nobody else has,” Estes says.

Lark & Owl also has a bistro in the store that has a bar and a cute seating area. Estes says that they had a wonderful bistro partner when they opened, but then during COVID, it became harder for them to put as much focus on Lark & Owl, so they moved on to their other projects.

Recently, a new management company has taken over the bistro, which is undergoing a name change and rebranding, and it’s getting a new chef and new menu. The bistro will be called Alouette Bistro, which means “lark” in French. Estes says they are waiting on one last county inspection permit to be finished, and then they’ll do a soft opening.

Estes believes that the most important aspect of independent bookstores, and what sets them apart from chain retailers, is community.

“That’s what has kept us open,” she says. “If the store is representing and supporting its community, that’s what makes the difference. People are choosing books that are changing what they think and what they believe, and so that’s our job — to put forth a foundation that we believe in, but also that our community believes in and is interested in.”

IF YOU GO
Address: 205 W. Sixth St., Suite 101, Georgetown
Phone: 512-688-5582
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday