The Nook and Kranny ready to welcome customers with books, baked goods and benevolence

RIGBY, Idaho — Loretta Anderson and her nine-person staff have finished every "nook and cranny" of the new shop and will be having a grand opening on Monday.

The Rigby bookstore and bakery at 127 W. Main St. occupies part of the old Pandora's Chocolate building. A chiropractor moved into the smaller space on the other side of the wall.

The bakery will serve flavored sodas, coffee, homemade bread, muffins and light lunch items, like soups and salads. The shop will also offer new and used books for sale. Books will also be sold on consignment.

Anderson's Baptist faith plays an integral role in her life, and she said all the books in her shop will be smut-free and family-friendly.

EastIdahoNews.com first spoke with Anderson in May as the project was getting underway. Since then, she says there's been a lot of positive buzz about it in the community. Locals have expressed support for the new shop, and she's looking forward to serving them.

"I'm excited to get the doors open and meet more of Rigby," Anderson tells EastIdahoNews.com.

The soda menu is seasonal, meaning it will offer about six different flavors on a rotating basis.

Store manager Zoe Jensen said the idea with the shop is to create a space where people feel like they're in their living room. She wants customers to hang around and chat with friends or enjoy a good book while ordering their favorite menu item.

In May, Anderson told us that her love of mom-and-pop bookstores and bakeries led her to open The Nook and Kranny. She and her husband, Josh, have lived all over the country, and since returning to Rigby in 2022, she started thinking about a career change and what she could do to make a difference.

"This just came to be, and it's been pretty smooth sailing going through the process to start a business," Loretta said.

Once she and her team have found a rhythm for daily operations and the business is established, Anderson said she'd eventually like to get involved in farmers' markets and start catering for events.

She's hoping to host local authors for book signings, and Jensen said they'd like to feature work from local artists on a rotating basis as well.

"Book clubs will be in here. I've got some authors that want to do some book signings and launchings," said Anderson. "We're trying to bring in what are called blind date packages — used books that are wrapped with bookmarks and fun stickers — to sell."

Anderson said her long-term goal is to expand and, ultimately, open another location in Rexburg and in Idaho Falls.

The grand opening will kick off at 7 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting by the Rigby Chamber of Commerce. Three gift baskets will be given away in separate raffle drawings throughout the day.

The Nook and Kranny is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a 10 p.m. closing time on Friday and Saturday. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

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