With its comprehensive selection, cozy arrangement, and timeless fresh-print scent, Full Circle Bookstore makes a strong argument against Kindles. The 50 Penn Place shop has been one of the mall’s constants, maintaining itself on a consistency insisted upon by the store’s present proprietor, Jim Tolbert.
Originally founded by Mark McGee, Full Circle’s origin is not unlike a phoenix, a creature surely described countless times throughout the bookstore’s thousands upon thousands of texts. Tolbert brought his business to the third story of Oklahoma City’s oldest mall in 1980 after a grease fire from a neighboring restaurant forced the shop to relocate. After the arrival of Barnes and Noble close-by in 1995, Tolbert decided to move Full Circle once more, this time to the ground level of 50 Penn Place.
Despite the competition and the advent of digital books, Full Circle has been trudging more powerfully than ever — although they’re not in any hurry.
“You can’t just race through it,” Full Circle Events Coordinator Dana Meister said. “Full Circle was designed to make you meander, to look, and to relax. People come here to talk about books and rest easy. Mr. Tolbert wants it to have a laid-back, home feeling.”
Full Circle forgoes the traditional racetrack structure that so many other retailers default to, opting instead for a more homey atmosphere, sectioned into several different areas with their own intricacies and composition. Three functioning fireplaces are placed throughout, and the shop is lined with many tall shelves that can be combed only with the use of rolling ladders. Though it may appear antiquated, its ambiance is unmatched by any local retailer in the metro.
Near the far back corner of Full Circle is both a café and a room dedicated to Oklahoma literature. The room also features a table dedicated to Full Circle Press, a group of pieces produced by Tolbert himself.
“You’re not going to find a larger selection of Oklahoma books here in the state,” Meister said.
Further back is The Garden Café, which opens and closes in tandem with the bookstore. The café has been a Full Circle fixture for nearly as long as the shop itself, offering a variety of dishes and local brews.
Elizabeth Okeke, the café’s manager, elaborated upon The Garden’s origins, including its affinity for mostly Oklahoma-made beers and, much like the rest of the shop, its consistency.
“This menu has been the same for the past 10 years,” Okeke said.
The café is complemented by a heavily shaded back patio that winds around the side of the mall. Just like the interior, there’s an undeniably comfortable and neighborly feel to the area — so much so that a brief attempt to change the patio’s configuration was ultimately thwarted.
“This is another gem of OKC that a lot of people don’t know about,” Okeke said. “They initially wanted to take these fences down and replace them with iron, but that would remove the seclusion due to all the passing traffic.”
Full Circle boasts several events throughout the year, including a monthly book signing on the third Saturday of each month that features over a dozen local and regional writers. Live music is also a regular attraction, and the annual Third Floor Christmas Party at the end of the year has been one of the shop’s mainstays. Several more activities — like a story time each Saturday at 10:15 a.m. — for young readers are curated by Julie Westerheide, Full Circle’s expert on children’s literature. Signings from more publicized writers, like C.J. Box on Aug. 5, further Full Circle’s already tremendous pedigree.
Despite the emergence of online retailers, big box booksellers, and e-readers, the independent bookstore still maintains consistent business. Perhaps contrary to popular belief, Meister contended that shops like Full Circle are on the rise.
“Typically, an independent store’s revenue margin is a bit higher,” Meister said. “Admittedly, it was hard when e-books and Amazon first hit, but ultimately, I think it comes back to the community feel. People still want to hold a physical book in their hands.”
Full Circle has changed in a few ways, but its largely untouched formula has been a tremendous success. Yet somehow it doesn’t feel much like a store at all, save the old register still running MS-DOS.
“I love this place. It’s like greeting an old friend. It’s just a beautiful place to live,” Meister said, initially laughing at her Freudian slip.
“Maybe it wasn’t a slip at all.”
