We’ve all heard stories about love at first sight. Maybe we’ve even experienced it ourselves. We lock eyes with another and know we’ve found the one. That scenario has played out countless times at Cupboard Maker Books, one of the best small businesses in Pennsylvania, where the tale of another happily ever after begins with a... meow.

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If the resident kitties – Mouse, Odin, and Annika – were to write an ad for their home, Cupboard Maker Books in Enola, Pennsylvania, it would simply say: “Must love books, must love cats, must love people.” That pretty much describes most of its visitors, many of whom have traveled to this small Pennsylvania town just to experience the magic that awaits at this beloved neighborhood bookstore.

A hint of the magic of Cupboard Maker Books starts with the exterior, painted with the spines of popular books like "Charlotte’s Web," "Watership Down," and "Goodnight Moon," an ode to the more than 120,000 used books that line the shelves, categorized according to genre, inside.

Today a destination for book and cat lovers alike, Cupboard Maker Books looked a lot different when Michelle and Jason Haring opened up shop in 1998. Back then it was known as The Cupboard Maker, a shop that sold custom-made furniture and gifts, including a lone shelf of books.

By 2002, it became Cupboard Maker Books and the couple moved this popular independent bookstore to its current location in 2003, where it has established itself as one of the most unique bookstores in Pennsylvania.

Must love books. This is pretty much a piece – well, 6,000 square feet, to be exact – of paradise for book lovers. Used paperback and hardback books fill the shelves, but you’ll find some new titles, too. “We carry over 5,000 new titles including fiction and nonfiction by local authors,” Michelle Haring says, “We love to recommend books to in-store visitors.”

If you’re searching for a book, you can also call the bookstore to find out if it’s in stock.

But Cupboard Maker Books in Pennsylvania is about far more than selling books. “We encourage literacy,” Jason Haring says, “We host six different book clubs every month.”

Book clubs cater to readers of all genres – mystery, fantasy, and romance as well as featured author and fountain of youth book clubs. You can even get a bit of a creative nudge for starting your own stories with the Story Makers Book Club, where you’ll read and discuss effective writing.

Must love cats. If you’ve ever fallen in love at first meow, you’ll know why loving cats is such a big deal at Cupboard Maker Books. Mouse, Odin, and Annika aren’t the only friendly felines here. The Cupboard Maker Books owners have welcomed dozens of foster cats over the years who, along with the trio, freely roam the store, rubbing up against delighted visitors and often eagerly accepting pets.

So many visitors have fallen in love with the kitties that more than 235 have found their furrever homes since the Harings began fostering for Castaway Critters. All adoptions go through the cat rescue in Harrisburg.

Must love people. Cupboard Maker Books is much more than a bookstore. While you’ll find your next great read and enjoy a bit of love from a furry friend, this beloved neighborhood bookshop is also about connecting with other book lovers. It hosts a variety of events and parties – like Easter Egg hunts for kids and adults – throughout the year.

As it marks its 26th year in business in 2024, Cupboard Maker Books has come a long way since those early days. “We not only survived the early, lean years, but we've thrived and became one of the go-to road trip indie bookstores in the Northeast,” Jason Haring says.

Ultimately, it’s the people – from the Harings to the bibliophiles to the cat lovers – who make one of the best small businesses in Pennsylvania what it is, and the couple agrees that their favorite part of running Cupboard Maker Books is, “Talking to all of the book lovers and cat lovers who visit our store from around the country, and the last few years, around the world.”

Many thanks to owners Michelle and Jason Haring for sharing Cupboard Maker Books' history and story for OnlyInYourState's 2024 Small Business Spotlight. Learn more and support this iconic Pennsylvania bookshop by visiting the Cupboard Maker Books Facebook page.

Of course, Cupboard Maker Books is one of many amazing businesses in Pennsylvania that’s doing great things in the state. If you have another business you’d like to see profiled on Only In Pennsylvania, please nominate them for a chance to be featured. And be sure to follow Only In Pennsylvania on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know on the state’s events, restaurants, local businesses, and hidden gems.