Something new is coming to life in a downtown Overland Park space — and this one looks to be a page turner.
Next month, book boutique Ink & Page will close its doors after roughly three years there.
But soon thereafter, the space at 7942 Santa Fe Drive will begin a new chapter; one that still involves books, but with different people at the helm.
Later this year, longtime friends Courtney Moffitt and Katie Jones will take over the space and open their own bookstore, The Inked Page, there.
The Inked Page will open at 7942 Santa Fe Drive
- The bookstore will occupy the former Ink & Page space just off 79th Street and Santa Fe Drive in downtown Overland Park.
- Though Ink & Page has been there for roughly three years, owner Erin Oliva also owned the clothing boutique, Pretty Posy, that was there for two years before that.
- Moffitt and Jones hope to open their store by the end of July.
The Inked Page will have a darker focus
While The Inked Page will pay homage to the bookstore it will be replacing, its owners aim to give it an identity all their own — which they plan to do by reshaping it around who they are and what they most enjoy reading.
That will look, in part, like a distinct focus on darker genres; mysteries, thrillers, horror, true crime. The Inked Page’s shelves will also feature some darker takes on other genres like classics and romance.
“Just the amount of people that have expressed their support already is exciting,” Moffitt said. “There seems to be a lot of interest for a mystery (and) thriller bookstore.”
That moodier tone will carry over into The Inked Page’s visual branding too. In addition to being a nod to the space’s former occupant, the store’s name itself is also a nod to their own aesthetics — both “inked” with several tattoos themselves.
“We wanted to angle the branding towards who (Moffitt) and I are as people,” Jones said.
The bookstore will be a new adventure for its owners
The Inked Page’s arrival isn’t just a new chapter for the space itself. It’s also a new chapter for its owners, as their first business.
Both Wichita natives, Moffitt and Jones met years ago while working as stylists at a bridal shop there.
Long Saturdays at the shop turned them from co-workers into close friends.
“When you work a retail job, particularly long Saturdays, you kind of bond,” Moffitt said.
The two of them have already long enjoyed downtown Overland Park, as frequent visitors of the farmers market there and local spots like The Peanut and Atomic Cowboy. When Ink & Page announced an upcoming closure and the opportunity came to plant their own roots there, Moffett said, the wheels started turning pretty quickly and organically.
“It felt very serendipitous,” Moffitt said. “There is almost no better real estate market than downtown Overland Park, and there was already a bookstore there — how much more lucky could we get, really?”
Between them, they estimate they have nearly 30 years of combined retail experience under their belt. But The Inked Page will be their first venture of their own — something they find both daunting and exciting at the same time.
“We know what it takes to run a business like this, we just have never been the ones 100% in control of it,” Jones said. “Getting to be the ones that make the decisions and having full ownership of that, but also using it to connect with the community, is what I’m most excited about.”
Beyond its books, the duo hopes to make The Inked Page a community gathering place; one that’s equipped for book clubs and other after-hours events. Ultimately, they want to make the shop a place where like-minded people can not only pick up their favorite moody reads, but also connect over them.
“Our target market is women that are just like (Moffitt) and I,” Jones said. “I think just building that camaraderie with people around you is something very, very needed in this day and age.”
Want more local business news? Craft Putt closes indoor mini golf spot and restaurant in Overland Park
