Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane and Joe Mayes. Them and their team share their story with us below:
It took 43 years for Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences to make its way more than 5,000 miles to finally arrive home in Denton.
Owners Diane and Joe Mayes met at Hahn Air Base in what was then West Germany as juniors in high school. They dated briefly before forming a friendship that would later re-blossom into a love story for the ages.
Nearly forty years after they parted ways in 1978, Diane and Joe reconnected via social media. They rekindled their friendship long distance, and when Joe traveled traveled from Florida to visit Diane in 2017, sparks flew at once. Less than a year later, in February 2018, they were married.
Joe took a job in Austin, and he and Diane set up home in Central Texas, with Joe making the promise that he would bring Diane home to Denton “within three years.”
Diane, an elementary school teacher, had dreamt of retiring from teaching and working in a “smelly-good store.” Joe was an avid reader and writer and had long dreamed of opening a bookstore. So, the happy newlyweds decided to combine their dreams and open Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences in the small town of Leander, just outside Austin.
The store featured new and used books, plus a wide variety of quirky gifts, packaged coffee (including Patchouli Joe’s very own “Biblio Blend”), and assorted other indulgences. Including, of course, scented candles, incense, and soaps, all to provide Diane her very own “smelly-good” store.
The learning curve for the couple was steep, as neither had ever owned a retail business previously. They attended a booksellers “boot camp” in Florida and visited as many Indies (Independent Bookstores) as they possibly could. On August 31, 2019, Patchouli Joe’s was open for business in Leander.
About six months later, the global pandemic threatened to stop Patchouli Joe’s before it could gain momentum. Through perseverance (stubbornness), the couple kept the doors open by finding creative ways to pivot, as most small businesses had to do during this time.
But it was the pandemic — and Joe’s company deciding to let people work remotely full time — that enabled Joe to fulfill his promise to his bride. By this time, Diane had retired from teaching to run the store full time and, with Joe able to work remotely, the pair moved — themselves and Patchouli Joe’s — 200 miles north.
With the help of Diane’s three adult children, the couple loaded Patchouli Joe’s: Leander into multiple trucks and trailers on May 15, unloading it into Patchouli Joe’s: Denton on May 16. Less than two weeks later, on May 29, 2021, Patchouli Joe’s was finally home.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It is a challenge for any small business to survive under the best of circumstances. Patchouli Joe’s is no exception.
First of all, the profit margins for a bookstore are razor-thin. People generally don’t open a bookstore business to get rich; rather, they do it because they believe in the power of books and community. Diane and Joe went into the bookslingin’ business with eyes wide open, prepared to take financial lumps until they were able to get the business to a stable state.
But nothing could have prepared them, or any other small business, for the global pandemic in early 2020.
Diane and Joe worked hard to pivot, rolling out things like free porch delivery, curbside pickup, and making the investment to make Patchouli Joe’s merchandise available online. Through creative solutions and grant and loan programs, the couple was able to keep Patchouli Joe’s open and, more importantly to them, to not have lay off any staff who never missed getting paid.
Another challenge that Patchouli Joe’s faced was their location. While Leander was (and remains) a growing community, one of the key factors that will determine a bookstore’s success is its proximity to walking areas. The location of the store was not in an area that fostered consistent foot traffic, making it a challenge to bring people to the store.
Finally, the couple discovered that bookstores are often viewed through a political lens. Joe often jokes that Leander was “15 miles and 100 years away from Austin,” but the reality was that it just wasn’t a good fit for Leander. The few regular customers they had were passionate and embraced Patchouli Joe’s fully. There just weren’t enough in that community to support a business-like Patchouli Joe’s.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences, just off the Square in downtown Denton, is built on the idea that a bookstore is more than just a business. It is a place where people come to expand their minds or find an escape from the day-to-day world.
As such, Patchouli Joe’s welcomes all people just as they are. Regardless of political affiliation, race, gender, orientation, creed, national origin, or any other factor, everyone is welcome. Diane and Joe insist that love truly is the answer, regardless of the question.
Patchouli Joe’s is truly a family business. The store is managed by Diane’s youngest son, Charlie Forester, her daughter, Stephanie Forester, is the Social Director (when she’s not teaching school herself), and her older son, Brett Forester, pulls shifts at the store in addition to making sure the store’s sound system (playing 60’s and 70’s music, of course), computer network, and other electronic systems are working.
While Patchouli Joe’s carried used books in their Central Texas location, Denton already had an iconic used bookstore on the Square. So, Patchouli Joe’s carries only new books in every genre. They have a children’s section — the Patchouli Patch — where chairs and shelves are Littles-sized and where young readers (and future readers) can find a wide range of children’s books and puppets, puzzles, and other indulgences.
You can buy “Mystery Boxes” online or “Mystery Bags” in-store. These are hand-curated selections of books based on genre or other guiding “clues” provided by the buyer. In-store Mystery Bags come in a free Patchouli Joe’s reusable cotton tote bag.
Patchouli Joe’s keeps fresh-brewed coffee available during store hours, free of charge for visitors. This gives customers a chance to sample one or more of the packaged coffee options the store carries, including Patchouli Joe’s branded “Biblio Blend.”
All of the “indulgences” in the store are personally hand-curated by Diane, Charlie, Stephanie, and the staff. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of these are of the “smelly-good” variety, including Patchouli Joe’s very own line of soaps and candles, in addition to incense and candles from other partners. Guests can find original art from local DFW artist Karl Melton and several author events each month, plus social events to help people feel at home. You’ll find greeting cards, stickers, fun socks, and a wide range of bookmarks, including a hand-painted line from local artist Ashley Allison, available only at Patchouli Joe’s.
The most important thing that Patchouli Joe’s brings to Denton, however, is a place where everyone is welcomed and affirmed. There are comfy chairs, and even a chess board set up at all times for people to get cool when it’s hot, warm when it’s cold, and loved no matter what the weather.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Charlie would say that one thing that might surprise Denton bibliophiles is that he and Joe are “sportsoholics.” He is an avid lover of all teams DFW (especially the Mavericks, the Cowboys, and Rangers having broken his heart too many times), and Joe has been a die-hard Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders fan since 1968. Together, the two have attended multiple Dallas Cowboys games and have plans to visit Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to watch Joe’s beloved Raiders in October of this year.
People are also sometimes surprised to find out that Joe is a military Veteran, having served twenty years in the US Air Force.
Some people are surprised to discover that Diane and Stephanie share both a profession — teaching — as well as an alma mater, both having graduated from North Texas State University, aka University of North Texas. Both also (perhaps grudgingly) participate in fantasy football with Charlie and Joe each year, the winner earning a champions ring, which was won by Stephanie in their first year.
Not everyone knows that both Diane and Joe are writers. Diane is in final edit of her young adult novel, and Joe has published a novella, “Chronicles of Shameus.” (Signed copies are available in the store, of course.)
The self-proclaimed “rightful owner” of Patchouli Joe’s is Her Royal Highness, Dutchess Zoe of Denton (aka Notorious Z.O.E., aka Patchouli Zoe), a 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel with amazing powers over her “hoomans.”
Finally, people are often surprised to find out that we actually have live Patchouli Plants in the store! The store has its name because Diane recalls the scent of patchouli being prevalent during her one year in Germany, where she and Joe met. Numerous customers have asked, “What exactly is patchouli, anyway?” with one even quietly asking, “Is patchouli another name for marijuana?” (It’s not.)
There is an inside joke embedded in the Patchouli Joe’s logo. But you’ll have to come by the store to find out about that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://PatchouliJoesBooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patchoulijoes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatchouliJoes
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/patchoulijoes
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@patchoulijoes
Image Credits
Joseph L Mayes
