Annika
In the beginning, it was a choice between coffee and cats.
So explained Riley Haring, the son of Michelle and Jason Haring, owners of Cupboard Maker Books. The couple realized that the two didn’t work well together.
“The cats won out,” Riley said.
They sure did.
Today, three cats live full-time and roam freely inside the Enola shop: Odin, Annika and Mouse. Others make guest appearances, often appearing on the shop’s very active social media pages.
“Books, cats and community, that’s what we’re all about,” Michelle said.
A quarter-century ago, the Harings started out with a small footprint at 16 Juniata Ave. in Enola. As avid book readers, they had enough inventory to get started, but quickly outgrew the space and relocated.
By the fall of 2003, they were ready to move again, this time to their current location.
“We looked at 15 different properties before choosing one that was big, ugly and affordable,” said Jason, who painted book spines on the building to help it stand out to passersby. Kristian Beverly, an employee at the time, finished the art and the lettering.
“We painted ‘BOOKS’ all over the building and from then on, 10,000 books walked through the front door every month,” Jason said.
The couple’s inventory today is estimated at about 100,000 used books, along with a smaller selection of new.
The couple gets the word out with help from their feline friends. They reach out via social media with amusing and engaging cat videos. Some have even gone viral, grabbing the attention of late-night talk-show hosts.
“One morning, I woke up, and my phone was blowing up,” Michelle said. “I discovered that our cat Odin made an appearance on Taylor Tomlinson’s ‘After Midnight’ show.”
Another time, Newsweek came calling after one video received 4.2 million views, she added.
The Harings also attract attention by taking cats on excursions to show their support for other local businesses. Queen Annika has recently been spotted at Enola’s Whistle Stop, Carlisle’s Destiny Dairy Farm and at 3B Ice Cream in Duncannon sipping a shake.
Odin
If that’s not enough to generate attention, the couple tools around town in brightly colored cars containing pawprints and the name of their business, along with cat characters with names like Prince Fluffytail, which touts a book written by the couple’s son, Riley.
Those who have been frequenting the store for years may remember first meeting Riley as an infant. He grew up around books—and cats—and “worked” with his mother behind the front counter, cooing in a bassinet. Today, he’s all grown up and penning children’s books with titles like, “Prince Fluffytail Chases a Dragon.”
“It illustrates the bookstore through the unique perspective of a cat,” Riley said.
He has another book queued up for a fall release, “Mouse, Odin and the River Pirates,” inspired by the nearby Susquehanna River and the bookstore cats.
On any given day, bookstore customers are likely to see several cats that are up for adoption.
The bookstore posts pictures on social media of those that have taken up temporary residence at Cupboard Maker Books.
“Sometimes, we even get some with disabilities,” said staffer Olivia Kepler, adding that a three-legged cat and her brother were adopted together.
Mouse
Kim Cassel, who is a cat foster, said that the Harings have been fantastic friends to the fur babies.
“It’s a great venue for our kitties to be seen and get adopted,” she said.
It’s also a great attraction for the shop, as some people visit to mostly play with the cats and then leave with a book.
“Nothing is better than a good book with a kitty on your lap to help you read,” she said.
Cupboard Maker Books is located at 157 N. Enola Rd., Enola. For more information, visit www.cupboardmaker.com or their Facebook page.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
