TERRY HEATH IS THE OWNER of The Bookshop Under the Stairs at Port Orchard’s Town Square Mall.
He stocks popular new books as well as gently used reads, and if he doesn’t have it, he can order it quickly. Terry’s selections are guided by sources like the New York Times Book Review, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association’s top sellers, and customers’ recommendations.
His vision is to create a timeless bookstore experience.
Although, the classic “Bookstore Cat” is present only as a paper sculpture at the Bookshop Under The Stairs because of the store’s in-house café: Chapter 9 3/4 Cafe.
Coffees, teas, sodas and baked goods can be enjoyed at tables and stuffed lounge chairs around the shop. Egg Creams are also on the menu! New Yorkers know this as a soda fountain drink that contains neither egg nor cream. Rarely found in the Pacific Northwest, stop in to experience it yourself.
Predictably, Terry is a life-long reader.
He transitioned from English composition professor at Clover Park Technical College to bookstore owner when he opened Bookshop Under The Stairs on National Independent Bookstore Day in 2022.
Terry said his experience working in school and public libraries as a teen was a great introduction to running a bookstore. He learned how to run a bookstore from “Old Books Into Gold,” which was the bible for would-be used bookstore owners before Kindle changed the scene in 2007.
Terry loves ‘how to’ books, making him an excellent choice of companion if you’re planning on getting shipwrecked. Even the egg cream recipe from the store’s café came from a how-to book.
And about those on-line booksellers…
Terry believes that it’s a swinging pendulum, that the austere days are behind and people are remembering why we love brick and mortar bookshops again.
Terry wants to provide that experience: The smell of books… A nice cuppa tea in the comfy chair… Local artists’ work… The joy of finding the unexpected!
There’s a section at the Bookshop Under The Stairs called ‘The Jungle.’ It contains shelves of low-priced, mixed-up, wondrous, who-knows-about-what reading.
And now: The Silent Reading Coffee Klatch! On Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon, read silently for an hour then discuss the book you brought with others over coffee or tea.
Mark Saturday, April 27th on your calendar to come in for some cake at the store’s second year birthday party. Make it your first stop on the National Independent Bookstore Day. // LORI BIER
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY, a national event, is April 27. Locally, Seattle Independent Bookstore Day offers passports to regional bookstores, offering discounts, special events and more. See your local bookstore below and find more at seattlebookstoreday.com
