Jennifer Kelley grew up in Bryson City and moved to Macon County with her husband Troy after graduating from Western Carolina University in 2003. The couple has lived in Cowee with their son, Jackson, who is a rising junior at Macon Early College. Kelley has spent the last 20 years working at Whistle Stop Furniture and is taking that retail experience and pairing it with her love of books, as she is a published author herself, and opening Cozy and Content at 33 Edgewood Avenue in Franklin. The store is located on the lower level of the building.
“Opening my own store was always something I kept tucked in the back of my mind, like a what-if,” said Kelley. “But recently, I’ve had the positive version of the perfect storm of people encouraging me to move forward. I have to give a shout-out to Caitlyn Hina at Homegrown Fitness, the best personal trainer and an all-around fantastic person. And to the incredible Samantha Hopkins, one of my dearest friends who, as manager of Cozy and Content, has single-handedly kept me on track and helped turn a daydream into a reality – I could not have done any of this without her. So, with the advice of these two ladies, and with the help and motivation of my amazing family, I took the leap.”
Cozy and Content opened its doors this week, marking the new chapter in Kelley’s life.
“I think the main things people can expect when shopping at Cozy and Content are variety, inclusiveness, and fun,” said Kelley. “We want customers to walk in and be able to pick up a Malicious Women candle called “I Love My Fur Babies More Than Most People” that smells like Froot Loops, grab a copy of Pride and Prejudice along with the latest Jujutsu Kaisen manga, and find the latest Pearl Jam album, all in one visit. And if you love chatting about any of those things, so do we! Our goal is to offer the hard-to-find, the unique, the laugh-out-loud, and items you didn’t even know you wanted.”
While the book selection at Cozy and Content is unique in its own right, Kelley said that the music you will find is all encompassing and diverse.
“With books, we’ve made it a point to feature genres like Manga and graphic novels, sci-fi and fantasy, true crime, horror, romance, and more,” said Kelley. But with music, we have it all. From classic rock (our vinyl theme of the month for August!) to rap to R&B to country and everything in between, our shelves are stocked with both current and past hits from artists we all know and love, as well indie and underground music from artists you haven’t heard yet. Even better – if we don’t have it, we can special order it. So if customers can’t find the book or album they’re looking for, we can find it for them.”
With the goal of creating an open and inviting space for anyone, Kelley said that customers can expect top tier service — and customization and special order request whenever necessary.
“We’d like shoppers to know that there are no bad books, albums, or opinions – if you love it, we want you to have it. Cozy and Content is meant to live up to its name by being a comfortable environment filled with quality content that everyone can enjoy,” said Kelley. “Opening Day is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to feature events, book clubs, and more!”
To learn more about Cozy and Content visit their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/CozyandContentNC or online at cozyandcontentnc.com.
Be First to Comment