What started as one of UCA alumnus Marshall Cunningham’s childhood dreams is now a full-fledged bookstore called Bean’s Books, located in The Village at Pickles Gap.

The Christian-based, woodland-themed store opened July 1 and houses used, new and premium books.

“I’ve wanted to open a bookstore forever,” Cunningham said. “For my birthdays, I’d always want to go to bookstores, not have a party or anything. That’s all I ever wanted to do.”

He named the store after his dog Bean, short for Beignet, an 11-year-old miniature schnauzer he got in 2012.

“Originally, I was trying to get an area where we’d have a bookstore and a coffee shop. So, it was going to be called Book and Bean,” he said. “But that just didn’t work out how we wanted.”

Then, he met with Kathy Brown, The Village’s owner, in December for a business proposal.

He said, “I was like, ‘Hey, there’s one little shop left, a little wedge between these two stores.’ I was like, ‘Do you think I can maybe get that as a bookstore?’”

Cunningham said Brown asked him to develop a business plan to prove his commitment.

“So I spent Christmas break making up a business plan for the store,” he said. “Then, in February, we talked again, and she said, ‘Okay, yeah, you can have it.’ And so ever since then, it’s been building the store and a dream come true.”

Cunningham runs the store with his childhood friend Garrett Bullock, who works Wednesdays and Thursdays and is a senior psychology major at John Brown University.

Cunningham said Bullock has been “on board, helping in whatever way possible” ever since he mentioned opening a bookstore to him. 

He said, “He’s also really good at customer service, so he’s always talking to people. People love coming and talking to him.”

Bullock began working at Bean’s Books around a week or two after it opened, but he has been there with Cunningham since the beginning.

He said, “I was helping Marshall out when Bean’s Books was only a small stand at one of The Village’s events.”

“We met at Conway Christian School in fifth grade and have been the best of friends ever since,” he said. “We both share a love for Christ and good storytelling, which is why I think we became such good friends all those years ago.”

Bullock said he remembers the day he and Cunningham were having lunch together last summer, and he told him about his idea to open a bookstore. 

“I told him in response, ‘If that ever happens, I’d love to help you out with it,’ and it’s awesome to me that I’ve gotten to witness the store grow from a mere idea to a fantastic reality,” he said.

Bullock’s favorite aspect of working at Bean’s Books is interacting with the customers.

“You really get to understand people at a different level by hearing about the books they love. It reveals a lot about who they are as a person,” he said. “Aside from that, the atmosphere of the store never gets old. It’s a dream job, honestly.”

Cunningham said the store gets about 30 to 50 customers daily, and its inventory is sourced from online distributors, donations and Facebook Marketplace. 

Bean’s Books sells premium leather-bound books from publishing house Easton Press, which Cunningham acquired from regular customers, the state, estate sales and auctions.

“People love looking through them and taking pictures with them,” he said.

The most expensive is a signed “The Foundation Trilogy” by Isaac Asimov for $1,200.

The store also sold two fore-edge Stephen King book carvings made by Paul DeMent, a fabric impressionist, craftsman and a Stephen King collector.

DeMent said, “I wanted to see if I could do it. I found out I could and moved on from there.”

He etched patterns on the sides of the books using a Dremel tool and an X-Acto knife.

DeMent is available for commission for both fore-edge carvings and custom book jackets for patrons of Bean’s Books.

“I like to try to stay involved with all the little businesses at The Village, and that’s one way that I can,” he said.

Bullock said two things set Bean’s Books apart from other bookstores.

“It’s Christ-centered and community-driven,” he said. “First of all, Christ-centered bookstores in the past haven’t aimed to offer other titles that are secularly based as well. However, Bean’s Books aims to be a bookstore that really sells all kinds of titles and a variety of different genres. It’s just that we are also avid supporters of Christianity and really highlight our Christian section. 

“Secondly, I think the store has a large dependence on the community, especially since we’re located in The Village. Corporate and chain-based bookstores are the norm at the moment, and so I think having a locally owned bookstore that has a unique identity is something that is really appealing to a community, especially since we seek to promote local authors.”

Cunningham said the biggest challenge of running the store has been adjusting to it playing such a huge role in his life.

“It was a plan for so long, but now, being here day in and day out — it’s something you kind of have to reorganize your life around,” he said. “It’s really fun to do, so it’s not that hard.”

When Cunningham isn’t running the store, he’s at home reading.

His favorite book is “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien, and he’s currently reading “Oathbringer” by Brandon Sanderson. 

Cunningham said the store will have some author readings and signings starting in September.

“We’re hoping to build a community around here, especially with college students coming back in,” he said. “We want to be the best possible new bookstore in the area.”

Bean’s Books is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.