Get to Know Our Women-Owned Retail Partner, Tombolo Books

We don’t just buy products from women-owned businesses, but we supply them too. Tombolo is one of our wonderful retail partners, and we absolutely love the story of their shop.

From Pop-Up to Brick-and-Mortar

 

When you have a vision for a store, sometimes your journey looks a little different than what you would expect. Tombolo started as a pop-up shop and was able to grow into a fun, eclectic, and diverse brick-and-mortar store located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.


They operated as a pop-up in the Tampa Bay area for a number of years before they were able to settle in at their current Grand Central District location. 


Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, which goes to show just how beloved this business is by the community, the store officially opened its doors on December 14, 2019. Just in time for holiday gift shopping! 


Since its opening, the local community and visitors alike have welcomed the store with open arms, supporting its success with enthusiasm.

Meet the Owners; Alsace and Candice 


Tombolo Books is co-owned by Alsace Walentine and Candice Anderson. 


Alsace is no stranger to the industry, either. She was the longtime events director of Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, NC before she decided to make the move to St. Petersburg with her partner, in life and business, Candice.

What to Look Forward to in the Store


The diverse collection of books inside of Tombolo features the latest releases from some of the best-known and rising voices in the publishing industry. On the shelves, you can find books from all genres including biography/memoir, science, gardening, cooking, poetry, and of course fiction. The store is also family-friendly and features a fun and cozy reading nook for parents and children to settle in and discover some new favorite stories during their visit.


Tombolo is proud of its Florida heritage as well and loves supporting local authors and artists. Customers will find a nice selection of books, both fiction and nonfiction, by Florida authors and also about the history of the state itself.


Special Services and Events by Tombolo


Along with being a delightful place to shop for both books and of course CheerNotes greeting cards, Tombolo offers other services as well. They love to host author events, especially when they can showcase local Florida authors. 


Looking for a book club? Tombolo has been known to host some of those as well, so just ask them to see if there’s one happening now, or if there’s one coming up that you can join. There’s a full list of upcoming events and book clubs on their website as well for easy reference.


If you need to make a special order for a book you can’t seem to find anywhere else, Tombolo is happy to assist you, and they can also help organize bulk orders for businesses and non-profits.


Going back to their roots, Tombolo loves curating pop-ups for any type of literary event or book fair that your school or organization might be holding. They are also happy to offer book signing support for your school or organization’s lectures.


Just contact them directly and let them know what you’re looking for and they will be happy to oblige!


Diversify Your Greeting Card Selection with CheerNotes


Do you have a brick-and-mortar shop that could use some fresh, new, diverse, and inclusive greeting cards? We love meeting new small business owners who have the same passion for inclusivity as we do! Look through our full collection of greeting cards HERE, and learn more about wholesale so you can carry our cards in your store HERE! We can’t wait to meet you.