Ten Trees Books is the small business everyone in Natick knew the downtown needed. All the wish needed was someone to puff it into reality. Along came Kim Rickard, dream weaver extraodinaire, with a head for business, and her fingers on the pulse of the local book-loving public.
Kim and Rob Rickard, owners of Ten Trees Books. (Photo by Jennifer Lambert)After experiencing over a year of success in The Hive, a collaborative space designed to aid the growth of new independent businesses in downtown Natick Center, Kim is relocating. The much-loved bookstore will move across the street to the former Calliope location, at 29 Main St. Kim estimates she’ll be be ready to open in mid-October.
The transition won’t be entirely seamless. Ten Trees Books is obligated under its lease with The Hive through February 2026. But she says, “The deal is, we will try and find new tenants for The Hive. And if we can’t, well, then we will fulfill all our obligations there, of course.”
We’re betting the future of Ten Trees Books will prove itself to be a happily-ever-after sort of tale. Kim calls the success of the store “a fantasy story, a dream come true. We are making money. The community has responded, quicker than we could have imagined.”
Success stories
Others who have experienced The Hive’s special brand of business-launching pixie dust agree. Just ask Kristen Mustonen and Alyssa Sawyer of Bloom and Grow Creative. The pair launched their full brick and mortar location from the Hive and can now be found right around the corner at 17 South Ave. Or Viviane Gontijo of Vivilicious Chocolates, who did a yearlong residency at The Hive and continues to craft amazing chocolates at 13 South Main St. Those are just two of many success stories that started out at The Hive.
Oh, did I mention The Hive is looking for local entrepreneurs seeking the space, support, and visibility they need to grow their businesses and take their next big step? Find out more here.
Owner of The Hive, Jill, Hourhan, says, “Starting and continuing the Hive is a labor of love for Natick Center. As a longstanding member of the downtown, I want other businesses to get to experience the magic that is Natick. Even so, If you would told me three years ago if we would already have been part of growing and launching so many small businesses in Natick Center and beyond, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s thrilling!”
When you consider that all of this is happening in the Natick Center Cultural District, designated as such in 2012 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the coincidences seem less happenstance and more the result of the long-term efforts of many. Pixie dust and happily-ever-after talk aside, a lively and diverse downtown neighborhood doesn’t just appear.
Watch for more to come. Better yet, participate by shopping, strolling, dining, or attending an event. More fun that way.
Congratulations to Ten Trees Books and their continued success, and to The Hive as it launches yet another small business into the wider world.
Fun fact: Natick Report is a small business, too. If you’d like to contribute $ to support our independent journalism venture, please do…
I buy my books at Ten Trees Books. I love going into the store. If they don’t have the book I want, they can order it.