Dakota Dreams has an unconventional business objective.
Selling donated books (capped at S$10 each) at affordable prices, the bookstore not just attracts avid readers, but has also become a hub for the Dakota neighbourhood since its opening in 2021.
Nearby residents visit the store and browse the books as a post-meal pastime. Meanwhile, many senior passers-by would chat with the founders, approach them for mobile phone queries, or hang out at the table outside.
“It is a bookstore, but more of a gathering place,” Hoe Fang, who also founded local publisher Ethos Books, says. “These two identities complement each other, but the latter is always primary.”
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The seed of Dakota Dreams sprouts
The idea of opening a shop first came to 57-year-old Vienna Fong during the COVID pandemic. Then, while volunteering, Vienna found that many of the seniors living in the Dakota area felt very lonely.
Soon she included Hoe Fang and three other friends – 70-year-old Sng-Fun Poh Yoke, 67-year-old Chan Wai Han, and 69-year-old Richard Chong – all retirees or semi-retirees, into her plan.
First, they looked for an appropriate space. They found it at a second-floor unit in the Old Airport Road Food Centre, which is conveniently located near Dakota MRT station. Then, discussion went into the business they want to operate.
“We then thought of people throwing away books and wasting trees,” continued Vienna, “and that’s how we decided to make the space a bookstore that sells recycled books.”
The founders’ combined work experience came in handy: Vienna’s past job at a restaurant gave her valuable insights into customer service, while Hoe Fang’s background in publishing, Poh Yoke’s experience in teaching and journalism, and Richard’s involvement in printing business all helped them with the book selections and the general operations of the bookstore.
However, all founders agree that the happiness created by the bookstore as a return is incalculable.
“We feel happy when we see smiling faces,” Hoe Fang says, “but we do need more help to mitigate the cost.”
The founders plan to think of ways to make their business operation more efficient and sustainable during the maintenance period of the food centre, before it reopens in October 2024.
The Dakota dreams grow
Dakota Dreams is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and founders take turns to be on duty with at least one other volunteer on each of the five opening days.
The volunteers, working for free, are mostly the founders’ friends and people who read about the bookstore in the newspaper. A significant portion of them are seniors.
"We always feel so eager to see each other again."
Three of them, all aged around 75, used to sell shoes in the Orchard area before they retired. Because of this, they are affectionately known as the “top sales reps” of the bookstore.
“Our ‘top sales reps’ say assisting with book selling at Dakota Dreams brings them back to the old days and makes them feel young again,” Vienna shares, “and they also feel more valued and welcomed.”
Living the Dakota dreams
To the founders, another important gain from setting up Dakota Dreams is that it allows them to connect with people from all walks of life – and therefore, garner a deeper understanding of human nature.
One cancer-stricken supporter of the bookstore once requested a prayer from the founders, all religious, at his most vulnerable moment before his cancer treatment – “We were surprised, but we were glad that our faith could help others,” Hoe Fang says.
Sometimes, the founders also get to know people they may never see in real life when they clean the books.
"Through these small moments, we witness fragments of past stories and books’ power in connecting people."
In a world where the hustle of life often overshadows simple joys, Dakota Dreams creates a space where people, regardless of their identities, are seen, heard, understood, and valued.
Prioritising happiness and connections over profit, the founders are not just running a business – they are living their Dakota dream.
Dakota Dreams
Location: 51 Old Airport Rd, #02-55, Singapore 390051
Opening Hours: Tue - Sat, 11am - 5pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077199100992
