Bookstore owners put the charm back in historic Mt. Pleasant Main Street building

ByRobert Stevens
Serenity Kimball stands outside her newly expanded CuriosiTea Bookshop at 49 W. Main St. in Mt. Pleasant. Kimball and her husband, Abe, spent two years renovating the historic downtown building before opening the bookstore in its new location Oct. 31. Photo by Robert Stevens.
Serenity Kimball stands outside her newly expanded CuriosiTea Bookshop at 49 W. Main St. in Mt. Pleasant. Kimball and her husband, Abe, spent two years renovating the historic downtown building before opening the bookstore in its new location Oct. 31. Photo by Robert Stevens.

MT. PLEASANT—What began as a small experiment in selling books has grown into a much larger venture for Serenity Kimball, whose CuriosiTea Bookshop recently opened in a restored historic building on Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street.

The bookstore, located at 49 W. Main St., opened in its new location Oct. 31, following approximately two years of renovation work by Kimball and her husband, Abe.

The response has already exceeded her expectations.

“We had 20 people in the door the second we opened,” Kimball said of business Sunday, Nov. 8. “It was crazy.”

Sales that day were three times those of the previous Sunday, she said, and the increased traffic has left her scrambling to keep the shelves stocked.

“We’re running out of books,” she said.

From pop-ups to a storefront

Although the Main Street location is new, CuriosiTea has been operating in various forms for several years.

Kimball, who has loved books since childhood, began testing the idea of opening a bookstore through small booths and pop-up shops at community events, including the Scandinavian Heritage Festival.

She also found motivation in local discussions about removing books from school classrooms. Kimball recalled attending a school board meeting more than three years ago to speak against an effort to remove “The Kite Runner” from senior classes.

The experience reinforced her desire to create a place where people in Sanpete County could find books that interested them.

“We need a place in the community,” she recalled thinking.

An opportunity eventually arose to establish a small storefront on the second floor of the former Mt. Pleasant City Hall building at 115 W. Main St.

The 15-foot-by-15-foot room had previously been used primarily for storage. Kimball painted the space, installed bookshelves and opened the shop in early 2024.

The arrangement allowed her to operate with relatively little overhead while maintaining her regular job and determining whether the community could support an independent bookstore.

A customer reads inside the newly opened CuriosiTea Bookshop at 49 W. Main St. in Mt. Pleasant. The independent bookstore features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, vintage furnishings and a Victorian-inspired atmosphere. The shop opened in its new location Oct. 31 after extensive renovations of the historic building. Photo by Robert Stevens.
A customer reads inside the newly opened CuriosiTea Bookshop at 49 W. Main St. in Mt. Pleasant. The independent bookstore features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, vintage furnishings and a Victorian-inspired atmosphere. The shop opened in its new location Oct. 31 after extensive renovations of the historic building. Photo by Robert Stevens.

The business received the Sanpete County Chamber of Commerce’s Best Start-Up Business Award later that year.

Restoring a Main Street building

Meanwhile, another opportunity was developing just down the street.

Kimball and her husband purchased the former grocery building at 49 W. Main St. in 2024. The property offered room for a much larger bookstore, along with space for Abe’s lithography studio and other possible uses.

The couple also shared an interest in preserving historic buildings.

What followed was an extensive renovation that included removing old flooring materials, restoring original wood floors and updating the interior.

Kimball said the couple completed much of the work themselves while continuing to hold full-time jobs. They hired an electrician and contractors for some specialized work, including drywall and ceiling installation.

Time and money were among their biggest challenges.

The project received a significant boost through a $50,000 historic preservation grant from Utah Main Street’s Rural Revive & Reside program, which supports rehabilitation of historic commercial properties.

According to the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, the grant was awarded for work on the building, which contributes to Mt. Pleasant’s historic downtown district.

She said preparing the grant application itself took months of research, gathering estimates and working with people who could review the proposal.

The finished bookstore reflects Kimball’s interests in literature, tea and Victorian design, with an atmosphere she describes as influenced by “dark academia.”

The shop features restored architectural details, vintage furnishings and unusual decorative pieces intended to create what Kimball calls a cabinet of curiosity.

She said her time studying abroad in London also influenced the combination of books, tea and the shop’s distinctive atmosphere.

The store currently carries a mixture of new and used books and accepts special orders and preorders.

What’s next for the building

However, the bookstore is only one part of the couple’s plans for the building.

A former meat-locker area will eventually provide additional retail space. Kimball hopes to level the floor and move the children’s book section into that area.

Vintage teacups and other decorative items are displayed among the books at CuriosiTea Bookshop in Mt. Pleasant. Owner Serenity Kimball designed the store around her love of literature, tea and Victorian aesthetics. Plans for the building include a future tearoom, although that portion of the business has not yet opened. Photo by Robert Stevens.
Vintage teacups and other decorative items are displayed among the books at CuriosiTea Bookshop in Mt. Pleasant. Owner Serenity Kimball designed the store around her love of literature, tea and Victorian aesthetics. Plans for the building include a future tearoom, although that portion of the business has not yet opened. Photo by Robert Stevens.

Another section has been reserved for a kitchen and possible tearoom, although Kimball emphasized that operating a tearoom will require a separate business plan and additional work.

Abe also plans to establish his art studio toward the rear of the building.

Upstairs, the couple has completed a short-term rental called the Litho Loft, which became available for public reservations Nov. 10.

The rental features three queen-bed rooms offered together, each with its own bathroom and amenities including a microwave and small refrigerator.

Artwork created by Abe and his father is displayed throughout the space.

Kimball said the rental is intended to provide a somewhat higher-end lodging option, particularly for visitors to nearby Wasatch Academy and others staying in the area.

The rental also plays an important role in the couple’s business strategy.

Kimball explained that independent bookstores typically operate on narrow profit margins, making rising rents and other overhead expenses a challenge.

By owning the building and generating additional revenue through the upstairs rental, she hopes to reduce the financial pressure on the bookstore.

One of the guest rooms in the Litho Loft, a newly opened short-term rental above CuriosiTea Bookshop in downtown Mt. Pleasant. The rental includes three queen-bed rooms offered together, each with its own bathroom. Owners Serenity and Abe Kimball hope revenue from the upstairs accommodations will help cover the historic building's operating expenses. Photo by Robert Stevens.
One of the guest rooms in the Litho Loft, a newly opened short-term rental above CuriosiTea Bookshop in downtown Mt. Pleasant. The rental includes three queen-bed rooms offered together, each with its own bathroom. Owners Serenity and Abe Kimball hope revenue from the upstairs accommodations will help cover the historic building’s operating expenses. Photo by Robert Stevens.

“The Airbnb should pay for most of the building expenses,” she said. “So, we don’t have to make huge profits at the bookstore. I just need to make enough to pay my employees and keep it going.”

Despite the recent opening, considerable work remains. Kimball estimated additional renovation projects could continue over the next couple of years.

For now, she is concentrating on the upcoming holiday shopping season and adjusting inventory to meet demand.

According to the bookstore’s Nov. 3 announcement, CuriosiTea is open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Additional information is available at curiositeabookshop.com.