BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — When you come to 2 Dads and a Bookstore, owners Fearless Cummings and Andile Mahlangeni-Byndon want visitors to be able to kick back, relax and talk with others about what they're reading.
"We wanted to create and give you guys an experience that we wish that we would've had growing up," said Cummings.
Growing up, the two had very different experiences with reading.
"I was like in the summer reading club and like book-it and all that different stuff and like, it was just a mandatory thing in our household that we read during the summer," said Mahlangeni-Byndon.
"This one foster parent that I had, anytime I would get into trouble or whatever, I would have to go to my room and read all the time… I hated it," said Cummings.
After a while, Cummings would try to get in trouble just so he could read. Years later, reading has become a big part of his life.
The two met while working together at Hands of Heartland, an organization that helps people with developmental disabilities. One day at work, they started talking about books; Cummings invited Mahlangeni-Byndon to his car and in there several books.
"Dude, what in the world, I was like are you - you're a reader like me, are you kidding me? And I've been working with you for over a year and a half and we did not know…" said Mahlangeni-Byndon.
The power of conversation sparked their idea for this bookstore, which they built in around 90 days. But to bring their store to life, they needed a name. After tossing some ideas around, Cummings suggested 2 Dads and a Bookstore.
Cummings has an 11-year-old son and Mahlangeni-Byndon has two daughters, a three-year-old and a five-year-old.
"We're dads, we're fathers, we love to read, we read books. All of it, just give me a whole story of me and him together and I'm like, 'oh yeah no that's the name,' said Mahlangeni-Byndon.
With just a couple of final preparations to be done before the big opening day, the co-owners said that they're excited to welcome the community in.
The store will open on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
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