Pan Yan Books pops up

Owning a book store wasn't in the life plan for Heidelberg graduate Judy Smith. Not until recently anyway. While most young people with bachelor's degrees in environmental science and mathematics are working on science-related careers, Smith has discovered a different path. When she graduated in spring 2020, she started down the path she had planned, but the new owner of Pan Yan Books discovered she didn't want to pursue higher education. A chance conversation with a friend put her on the path to opening a book store. She told him she wasn't sure she wanted to return to graduate school where she had studied for one semester. She talked about her dream of buying a book store, fixing it up and "becoming a community cornerstone." She discussed how she loved books. She and her boyfriend, Sean, used to spend time talking with David Koehl at Paper & Ink book store in downtown Tiffin, which was lost to a fire in April 2021. "I've been an avid reader most of my life," Smith said. She and Sean used to talk about how great it would be if Paper & Ink had a place to sit and hang out. "We felt really bad for (Koehl) when the building caught on fire," she said. "My friend asked, 'Why don't you open your own book store?' Smith said. "Those simple words hit me like a ton of bricks. "I learned that, in grad school, I had been pursuing my interests, not my passions," she said. "With Pan Yan Bookstore, I'm excited to be chasing my dreams and offering the Tiffin community the chance to find their new favorite book and connect with others." Smith, who grew up in Michigan, said she loves Tiffin and plans to stay. "I came for Heidelberg and now I can't leave," she said. Smith said she inherited her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, who have owned and operated The Shoe Smith, a shoe repair business and orthopedic shoe store in Portage, Michigan, since 1988. Although it's a different type of shop, she said she calls them at least once a week for advice. "They've been a huge help," she said. "I lived in a small business pretty much. That does give me some understanding of what it takes." Because she grew up assisting with business operations, she feels comfortable with small business ownership. "I spent many days of my childhood in the store, helping my parents restock inventory, sell shoes, return repair items, attend trade shows and even create my own leather products to sell," she said. "My childhood experiences provide me with an oddly extensive knowledge of shoes and feet. For years, I thought about starting my own business, but I wrote it off as a pipe-dream and decided to pursue it in retirement." Since that fateful conversation and her decision to change the course of her life, Smith said she's partnered with several businesses and events to set up her pop-up book sales. When Eric Kuebler of Laird Arcade Brewery invited her to take part in Therapy Thursdays, she said yes. "He contacted me because they had just put their Pan Yan brew on tap," she said. "He knew that I was doing pop-ups and stuff." In addition to the Thursday evenings, Pan Yan Books will be taking part in pop-up events on the next two Sundays. This Sunday, she'll be set up at Bailiwicks coffee shop downtown 8 a.m.-4 p.m. for Books and Bailiwicks and Feb. 13, she'll be taking part in a Galentine's Day Brunch and Shop from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Relevé Tiffin in the Laird Building with Hope's Landing, Relevé Barre Studio, Mariona & Co and Thirty-One Bags. Smith said the pop-ups include books in a variety of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, religious and children's books. "Our inventory is constantly rotating," she said. "It's been going pretty well, especially because my main purpose in doing the pop-ups is to get the word out about my business," Smith said. Her new storefront downtown won't be ready to open until spring or summer. "It depends on how long the renovations take," she said. She does the pop-ups in addition to working full-time as a model and data analyst at the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg, where she plans to continue working. But she wants the store to be open as many hours as possible. "I don't want it to be just another bookstore," she said. "Like a chain where you come in and pick out your book and leave." She's planning tables and "hang-out spots" where people can sit down, read, visit with friends and enjoy single-serve coffee and snacks, including Raizen Girls cookies. "I'm going to have their cookies in my store year round," she said Raizen Girls is well known at Tiffin Seneca Farmers Markets for their cookies. "I'm also going to hold events," she said. "I've already had somebody ask me about euchre tournaments. I'd love to do that." Other possibilities include game nights, Dungeons & Dragons nights and trivia contests. "I want nice community events like that," she said. Smith said she's been in touch with two New York Times best-selling authors who moved to Tiffin recently, and she hopes to have book signings in the store as well. As a further tribute to Tiffin, Smith said she chose the name Pan Yan, which is historically important. "We're named after the first business established in what was to become Tiffin," she said on her website, www.panyanbooks.com. "Our name reflects our Tiffin roots and our dedication to community." The Pan Yan Tavern was established by Erastus Bowe in 1817 on the site where Tiffin is today. Bowe had traveled through the area as a soldier in the War of 1812, and spent time at Fort Ball, which is marked by the bronze Indian Maiden statue on Frost Parkway near Miami Street. Bowe returned to the site after the war and opened the tavern on what is now North Sandusky Street, which later became a stagecoach stop. Early settlers followed and formed the town of Oakley. In 1820, Josiah Hedges purchased land on the south bank of the river opposite Oakley and founded another settlement, which he named Tiffin in honor of Edward Tiffin, the first governor of Ohio who later became a U.S. senator, and who had also been instrumental in winning statehood for Ohio in 1803. Later, the two towns merged into Tiffin. Smith invited anyone interested to sign up for her email newsletter to keep up with the latest news about the store. "I've never been so stressed and yet so happy in my entire life," she said.