A local, independent book store in rural Florida has quadrupled its footprint and has big plans to showcase local authors and artisans while trying to improve literacy rates.
It is called Dragon's Den Bookstore and it is a dream come true for Doug Heavener of Arcadia. Heavener owns the store with his wife, Denise. The name they picked — Dragon's Den Books, plays off the couple's initials D&D. And D&D happens to be the shortened name of the oh-so-popular game Dungeons & Dragons.
As a kid growing up in Charlotte County, Doug Heavener could always be found at his local library eager to immerse himself in a book. He carried that love into his adult life.
"I've always wanted a bookstore," he said.
He got that chance years ago when he left a post as a clarinet player in the U.S. Army Band and sold books at a flea markets. But 9-to-5 work called for the next several decades until he and his wife learned a bookstore in DeSoto was closing a few years ago.
"So I've been in the books for forever, but I didn't want to step on the toes of the people that were already established that had a bookstore. But as soon as I found out they were leaving, I'm like, well, that's definitely what I want to do. I mean, we definitely need a bookstore," he said.
By then the couple had recently transplanted themselves in land and were falling in love with the charm of Arcadia and all DeSoto County had to offer. So they jumped at the chance to own a used bookstore in 2024.
The appeal of a used bookstore goes beyond lower prices. There’s undeniable charm to mismatched shelves, subdued lighting, soft music and poetry sections.
Such old spaces tend to reflect the personalities of their owners and communities. Dragon’s Den Books certainly does that.
The store carries the same pioneering spirit as the old rural cattle town east of Sarasota. And both have a deep sense of community.
That was on display when dozens of volunteers recently responded to a Facebook post to help out when they closed up the small, original Dragon's Den Bookshop and moved it across the street to a very large storefront.
"We got an overwhelming reaction from the community," he said.
The move to the historic Rosen Building, also called the "Pink Building" on Oak Street, has quadrupled the size of the store.
When the couple first opened Dragon’s Den Books, they were able to pay one person to work part time. Most of the books sold back then came from the couple's home. Now Dragon's Den Books has an inventory of over 7,000 books both in-store and online.
"We're big," he said, "and I want to be a draw, to bring people to Arcadia."
The Heaveners have big plans for the much bigger store.
"We want live music, poetry readings, book clubs — you name it," Doug Heavener said.
Dragon’s Den also sells used albums and Heavener said he is working with a distributor to sell new albums as well as stereo equipment.
While still in the early planning and grant application stages, he is hoping to also tackle some very real issues in DeSoto County: A very low literacy rate and poverty.
His idea is to be able to reward youngsters who make A's and B's on their report cards with in-store credits. Also in the works is a storytime program where high schoolers read to younger, early readers.
In several studies more than a decade ago, DeSoto ranked at the very bottom of the state when it came to literacy rates.
"We're struggling with poverty and we're struggling with literacy. So I'm hoping that we can help both," he said.
Dragon’s Den Books' new address is 101 West Oak St. The grand re-opening event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday. Several local authors will be there as will musicians and others.
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