"We were very keen not to just replicate something”
What Steven asked Patrick Fysh, co-owner of independent bookshop Store 104
For World Book Day, Steven sat down in the non-fiction section of Store 104 with co-owner Patrick Fysh to discuss being part of Rochester High Street’s retail heritage, opening a new business during covid, and if you should judge a book by its cover.
Where are you born?
Chatham, in All Saints.
What jobs did your parents do growing up?
My dad was a computer engineer for BP, and my mum has been a retailer on the high street.
How did you find school?
I really enjoyed school actually. I went to Brompton for primary when it was very much an army school for the barracks, so I was one of the few people that stayed there and I really liked it. It was really enjoyable and then I went to the math school, had a lovely time, and did a lot of extracurricular stuff which I think led into university.
What did you stop specialising in at sixth form?
I did English, Music, Classics, and Biology.
Did you go to university?
I did History of Art at York uni.
What was your first full-time job?
Working for Ted Baker in Bluewater selling suits.
What is your official occupation now?
I would say business owner is the easiest way. It's a bit complicated because it's a family business so we're kind of managers and business owners.
What business?
Me and my cousin Libby run Store 104 in Rochester High Street. We're an independent bookshop, a yarn shop, a cafe and also local artisan goods.
What led to you opening an independent bookshop?
My mom and her two sisters were the owners of Frances IIes and Articat, which was in this premises, and previously our grandmother ran it. In March 2020, me and Libby were asked by our family if we wanted to take on this part of the business. It was with a really open hand. They said you can have the building and you can do what you want with it. We sat down on some random day and thought ‘What does Rochester need? What's it missing?’ From the start, we were very keen not to just replicate something. We went there's no independent bookshop in Rochester. There's Baggins which is amazing in its own right but it's a whole experience and there's Waterstones in Chatham which is amazing in its own right but it's a different experience. It's a literary kind of location and I feel like people are wanting it. On top of that, we're both really big readers and we like independent bookshops.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Local Authority to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.