“A rock star is someone who stands out,” said Shane Gottwals.
Gottwals isn’t a rock star in the traditional sense of the word, but he is a local business owner who is now one of four Small Business Rockstars in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“This is cool. It’s a big thing, it’s even bigger than we feel it is,” said Gottwals.
He opened his first store in Warner Robins in 2007. Now, 11 years later, he has 18 locations.
Seventh grader Harley Douglas says a visit to the store on Tuesday was her second trip to Gottwals Books, but the appeal of the store is what led her back there for her next read.
“It shows you how many people want to give back to the community by donating books,” said Douglas. “You can give them to your friends so they can read them and then they can return the book so other people can read it.”
Gottwals operates out of a warehouse in Byron and he estimates there are over 100,00 books there.
He says he’s surprised people by owning a successful book store franchise in what he calls the ‘digital Amazon age.’
Two more locations will be opening by June; one in Des Moines, Iowa, and one in Charlotte, North Carolina.