Owning an independent bookstore in 2025 isn’t just about selling books — it reaches far beyond that.
As online retailers and next-day shipping tightens its hold on consumers, smaller shops must look to their community for loyal buyers. Owner of Lake City Books, Molly Fish, has done exactly that in downtown Madison.
“I always wanted to own a bookstore… I just kind of jumped with both feet and it's been great. It's been almost two years. It's just growing and growing, I feel really lucky,” Fish told The Daily Cardinal..
Since opening in Lake City Books in April 2023, Fish has turned her precise vision for the store on 107 North Hamilton St. into a vibrant reality.
Located just north of the Wisconsin State Capitol, Lake City Books is nestled slightly underground in a comfortable, open space. The store is bright and clean, with sun shining through the windows to illuminate wall-to-wall shelves and tables filled with books. They feature unique options with both new and used books, as well as a buy-back system that allows readers to sell used books in exchange for store credit.
“ I was very confident in the fact that downtown Madison needed a bookstore,” Fish said. “I just started by finding the space. I found this, which was unconventional, but the fact that it's kind of underground and hidden makes it cozier.”
Fish wanted the store to be accessible and mean something to each person who shopped there while providing them with a piece of herself. Her dog, Bowie, sits behind the counter where customers can greet him while they explore the store and purchase books and is regularly included in the monthly newsletter to subscribers, called “Pupdates.”
“ A really important part of my principle of the business is that I just stay authentic to my own vision and my own self,” Fish said.
She described herself as the “target demographic” for the bookstore. Fish understands the mindsets of local consumers, having personal experience in many of the areas that Madison residents occupy.
“ I think that's what's made it successful. It's more cohesive because that's a person's vision, that is authentic to them. People just relate to your business more when they can see you in it, it's more personal for you to come in here and shop here and talk to me and see my dog,” said Fish.
Fish was raised in Madison and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a Madison native, she grew up surrounded by Badger culture.
“I was a huge reader, and when I was going to all those sports games — my family was like 100% sports. I went to every Badger game, we went to every bowl game and I would be reading in the stands,” said Fish.
She worked in software at Epic Systems but always found her way back to her passion for reading. During her previous job at Epic Systems, she was given the opportunity to train and manage teams of larger people, supplying her with the skills necessary to eventually run her own business, she said.
“I actually got a ton of on-the-job training to be a business owner. I was taking some night classes about small business ownership. I really didn't think Madison would have room for another bookstore… then the pandemic happened,” Fish said.
The pandemic provided Fish with an unlikely opportunity to enter the bookselling market by influencing her to reevaluate her previous career — finally make the jump to open Lake City.
With UW-Madison in such close proximity to downtown Madison, the types of customers the bookstore sees are unique and diverse.
“Having [Generation Z] coming in and connecting with us and our brand and our space, even if you're not at a place where you're going to be able to read a ton right now, you will in five years. You'll have disposable time and income all of a sudden,” Fish said.
Although students may not be the most frequent purchasers, Fish still values the connection that all visitors make with the business. Fish showcases Lake City and its relationship with the community by hosting events for book clubs or anticipated book releases. Fish welcomed customers to bring their friends, family and personal lives even further into the business.
The release of bestselling novel “Onyx Storm” in late January was cause for one of these celebrations.
“ We threw a big release party that night. If you pre-ordered the book through us, we had wine, cheese, deviled eggs — you get a whole experience out of it rather than just a book that shows up late and damaged and ships to your door,” said Fish.
Fish hopes to continue highlighting new releases and the authors behind them. On April 28, Lake City will invite author Ali Novak to talk about her novel “My Return to the Walter Boys.”
It’s part of her vision to create in the bookstore a space that welcomes everyone.
“I want to create a place, create events, have products that I would buy and that I would come to and that I would be excited about,” said Fish.
