From a book truck to a West Greenville storefront: To Be Read now open

What started as a mobile book truck that traveled around the Upstate has now officially become a storefront in West Greenville. The new bookstore, To Be Read, opened on Aug. 14.

To Be Read, located inside the Saltbox at 1256 Pendleton St., sells a mix of new and used books.

The store runs a trade-in program in which residents who bring in gently used books earn a credit toward their next book purchase, said owner Jen Ostafinski.

“Bring us your gently used books, pretty much any genre at this point; we are trying to build inventory,” Ostafinski said.

The store also offers a small selection of gifts, including tote bags and book-themed accessories, made primarily by small local businesses.

Ostafinski said she sees the bookstore as another “third space” where people can find community in a post-COVID world. She hopes to continue expanding the store’s selection and to plan “bookish” events for the community, maybe even partnering with other local businesses in the Village of West Greenville.

“There’s such a strong community in Greenville, which is one of the reasons that drew me to move here, but there’s also such a great book community here,” Ostafinski said.

From a book truck to a Village storefront

Ostafinski has always been an avid reader. She moved to Greenville in 2023 knowing that she wanted to open a new and used bookstore, but without the funds for a storefront, Ostafinski started something else – a mobile book truck.

“Being new to the area, I didn’t know who needed a bookstore, where needed a bookstore,” Ostafinski said. “My dad actually called me one day and was like ‘I have kind of a crazy idea: what about a book truck?'”

Ostafinski said that with the book truck she could get to know the area and get her name out there. Just six months after moving to the Upstate, she had her first event in the book truck, and it’s been rolling ever since.

But with her sights still set on a storefront, Ostafinski, when she discovered the space in the Village, said: “Let’s do it.”

“I’ve taken a lot of leaps of faith in the last three years,” Ostafinski said.

To Be Read employee Autumn Donnelly met Ostafinski at the book truck and happened to be looking for part-time work. Donnelly was hired to work at the new store, which she helped set up and watched come together over the past couple of weeks.

“I just really believe in Jen and her vision, and just providing book access to everyone, especially with the used books. I think it’s really, really important, and this is a great location. She’s had a lot of positive feedback so far from the community.”

Ostafinski said she plans to continue running the book truck for the rest of the year, but if the storefront does well, she might reevaluate the book truck’s future come 2027.

Ruth Cronin covers Greenville County business, growth and development. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: From a book truck to a West Greenville storefront: To Be Read now open

Reporting by ruth cronin, Greenville News / Greenville News

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From a book truck to a West Greenville storefront: To Be Read now open

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