MY FAVORITE CUSTOMER

For small, independent businesses, loyal patrons are benefactors, protectors, muses, and mascots. They make sure the show goes on. Here, three business owners celebrate an irreplaceable member of their community.

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1 The Book Loft of German Village

Columbus, Ohio

"Our store is known for its very unique layout. Inside is a maze of 32 rooms, all with different genres of books, connected by a series of staircases and hallways. To enter the store, you walk through a city-block-long courtyard which, during warmer months, is a garden. For a number of years, one of our most special customers, Stephanie, would visit and bring her dog, Harvey.

He would wait patiently in the courtyard as she picked up her books and had a few laughs with staff. When it was time for Harvey to pass, we made a nice spot in a flower bed in our courtyard to bury his ashes. Now Stephanie brings her new puppy, Mabel, to the store."