When Stacy Gould and her family first discussed the possibility of creating a bookshop, they considered the practicalities thoroughly. Gould knew she’d be the one traveling to the supermarket every day because the kids and her husband were both gone all day at school and work — and so would the family dog, Ruby.
Not only does Ruby mean the world to her family, but she’s also the friendliest, sweetest dog who loves everyone she meets, so they knew a bookstore where people could come in to say hi every day would greatly appeal to her. In a lot of ways, the store would be hers — and that’s how Ruby’s Books was born.
“Ruby would have to come with me every day to the store, so we thought, ‘Why don’t we name the store after Ruby?’” Gould told The Dodo.
Ruby is now Ruby’s Books’ co-owner, manager, and official greeter, and she takes her work extremely seriously. Ruby and her bookstore have only been open for about a year and a half, but they have already established themselves as an important part of the community.
“The customers adore Ruby, and she’s become a Sutter Street institution,” Gould said. “People come for the books, but they stay for the dog!” we joke.
Ruby’s family thinks it’s important that she maintains a good work-life balance, so she doesn’t go to the store every single day. She works Monday through Friday and spends the weekends at home with her family. She adores every moment she spends in the store, though, and has a myriad of responsibilities that she does with pride.
“Her responsibilities include greeting each customer at the door, rolling over for endless belly rubs, sniffing out treats within our customers’ pockets, mopping the floor with her very fluffy tail [and] reading (or pretending to read) alongside the kiddos in our children’s section,” Gould explained.
Ruby absolutely loves having her own bookstore, and her family loves that they now have a way to share Ruby and all of her joy with the community.
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