MINDING THE STORE

Name: MINDING THE STORE
Brand: Fishs Eddy
SKU: FEOC-JUL-BOOK
Price: 22.99 USD
Availability: InStock

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In this charming graphic memoir, the founder of an iconic housewares shop recounts the ups and downs—and ups again—of starting a family business, starting a family, and staying true to one’s path while trying to make it in the Big City.

Whether it’s a set of vintage plates from a 1920s steamship, a mug with a New Yorker cartoon on it, a tin of sprinkles designed by Amy Sedaris, or a juice glass from a Jazz Age hotel, Fishs Eddy products are distinctly recognizable. A New York institution, Fishs Eddy established as a family business whose founder endured the same challenges as many family businesses—and lived to write about it in this tale filled with humorous characterizations of opinionated relatives, nosy neighbors, quirky employees, and above all the eccentric foibles of the founders themselves. Readers come to know author Julie Gaines and her husband, with whom she founded the store, and because this is a family business, the illustrations are all in the family, too: their son Ben Lenovitz’s drawings bring Fishs Eddy to life with a witty style a la Roz Chast and Ben Katchor.

Over the years the store has collaborated with artists and celebrities such as Charley Harper and Todd Oldham, Alan Cumming, and many others to produce original designs that are now found in thousands of stores throughout the country, and Fishs Eddy has garnered a huge amount of media coverage. A great gift for anyone who has ever dreamed of opening a little business—or anyone with any kind of dream—Minding the Store offers wisdom, inspiration, and an exceedingly entertaining story.

Reviews

“I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I could go for a second helping!”
—Amy Sedaris, actress and author of the New York Times bestseller I Like You

“Anyone who has been to Fishs Eddy knows it’s a magical place and must have an incredible story. Here now is that story come to life. As you might expect the book is as eccentric, heartfelt, weird, and wonderful as a wander round the store—and as full of wondrous treasures.”
—Alan Cumming, actor and author of the New York Times bestseller Not My Father’s Son

“Julie Gaines’s Minding the Store is just as charming as the lovably idiosyncratic store itself. Filled with humor, humility, poignancy, and love, it tells the story of how she and her husband took an early gamble on an unlikely retail neighborhood and willed their personal vision into existence with persistence and grit, becoming an indelible part of the fabric of New York City along the way. Entrepreneurs will learn a thing or two about translating a dream into thoughtful business growth, and everyone will laugh, cry, and nod along with a woman who has chosen to live an extraordinary life amidst many piles of dishes.”
—Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, founder of Shake Shack, author of the New York Times bestseller Setting the Table

“The blend of Gaines’s candor and Lenovitz’s illustrations gives the book a distinctive personality, not unlike the aesthetic cultivated by Fishs Eddy’s frequent collaborations with designers.”
—Curbed New York

“Illustrated in a charming style by her son, artist Ben Lenowitz, the book is as personality-filled, humorous, and distinctively New York as Fishs Eddy itself.”
—Architectural Digest

“An engaging narrative on the ups and downs of following dreams.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Revealing . . . compelling in its very personal details.”
—Florence Fabricant for The New York Times

“An anti-business business book: it is a radical endeavor. Yet Minding the Store: A Big Story about a Small Business is an antidote for anyone who wants insights from successful people but is bored by jargon and unable to face another turgid tome from a bleach-toothed billionaire. The result is a delightful book . . . moving, funny and interesting.”
—The Financial Times

“A delightful, utterly hilarious (and also darn inspiring) treat to read that will appeal to anyone who’s wondering if they should take that first little step toward building something truly unique for themselves. You need to read this book; it will seriously make your day.”
—Ree Drummond, author of the New York Times bestseller The Pioneer Woman Cooks

“I love this clever and touching story of how Fishs Eddy became a beloved New York institution! It’s made even more poignant by Ben Lenovitz's lovely illustrations. A must-read for anyone not interested in taking the normal path!”
—Todd Oldham, designer and author of Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life