Huckleberries: The Well-Read Moose strikes chord with readers in Coeur d’Alene

Huckleberries Monday:

Melissa DeMotte loved the name as soon as she heard it: “The Well-Read Moose.”

“I’m sort of geeky,” the Coeur d’Alene bookstore owner told Huckleberries, “and moose are geeky animals.”

A bookstore consultant suggested the name. While enjoying a beer together during a Florida conference, Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates had asked Melissa about Coeur d’Alene, which he pronounced “Cur d’Alene.” He Googled “Coeur d’Alene” and was impressed by the outdoor nature of our slice of paradise. Looking up from the laptop, he said: “Well-Read Moose.”

And the rest was her-story.

Why is Huckleberries telling you this? On Wednesday, Melissa and her well-read crew celebrated the third anniversary of The Well-Read Moose at Riverstone – Coeur d’Alene’s alt-downtown along the Spokane River.

Five years ago, the Hayden bookworm and chief finance officer began responding to the siren call to open a bookstore. The closure of the Borders bookstore along U.S. Highway 95 heightened the urgency. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Melissa said. Adding to the degree of difficulty, Melissa also opened a cafe to serve her customers. “Basically, I was starting two different businesses under one roof,” she said. “I had a steeper learning curve on the cafe side.”

At 54, Melissa considers The Well-Read Moose to be her “final gig.” Says she, “I want to build a sustainable business that lasts well beyond me.”

Huckleberries and many appreciative readers second that emotion. Full Huckleberries column here.