After A Tornado, Interabang Books Vows To Rebuild, Thanks To Customer Support

It’s been said that books cannot die. The tornado that tore through North Dallas on Sunday is testing that idea, but fans of Interabang Books are rallying online to keep the store they love alive.

Interabang was among the stores destroyed at the Preston Royal Shopping Center. This week, the store's general manager Kyle Hall was surveying the damage.

Hall said it looked like a “complete loss.”

The store’s walls were no longer standing. The roof was nonexistent, and wet, dirty looking insulation was pasted onto just about every flat surface within eyeshot.

When the storm raced through northern Dallas, Hall said he hoped everything would be OK. But that hope dissipated when he got to the store Sunday night.

“That’s when I realized, really, that it had been a direct hit,” Hall said. "I mean, this wasn’t a tornado being nearby. This must’ve been a tornado sitting on top of all of this.”

Interabang employs about a dozen full-time and part-time employees. Hall said they’re all safe and ready to get back to sharing recommendations with fellow bookworms — in a temporary location.  

“We’ve all been in touch. We’re probably going to see each other on Thursday,” Hall said. “And the expectation is that everybody will be back at work in short order. Seriously.”

Hall is optimistic because of his customers. The store has gotten a massive outpouring of support from people via email and social media. Fans are encouraging people to make online purchases to help keep the shop going.

“It’s obviously not possible to do any operations from this location,” Hall said. "But we’re trying to find another to continue to host authors, to continue to have our book club meetings, and to, you know, still serve the same neighborhood — the same community.”

Hall said booksellers are integral to the neighborhood. He wants his bookstore to re-open in the Preston Royal Shopping Center to continue that legacy.