ROCHELLE — On Thursday, Dec. 12, a ribbon cutting ceremony event was held for Rochelle Book Hub for its new membership to the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce. 

Rochelle Book Hub opened in July and is located inside Cypress House at 718 10th Ave. The business is owned by Jacklyn Mlejnek. The main focus of the shop is fiction books, but it carries all genres along with accessories. 

Mlejnek had been interested in opening a bookstore in recent years and went to view the open space at Cypress House. She then put together a business plan and came to an agreement for the space and opened it just six weeks later. 

“I've always loved literature and I've been a big reader my entire life,” Mlejnek said. “I do have another job, so opening a bookstore was kind of a spur of the moment decision. It was something I'd always had in the back of my head that I wanted to do. I told my husband I thought it was a possibility. He's been very supportive, along with my mom. It was a very short turnaround. [Cypress House Owner Krista Stewart] has been very supportive and I really appreciate having this spot and I've had a lot of support from the community. Thank you all for that, and thank you all for coming.”

The ribbon cutting event was hosted by the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce. Speakers on Dec. 12 included Mlejnek, Chamber Executive Director Tricia Herrera, and City Councilwoman Kate Shaw-Dickey. 

Herrera said the chamber is always excited to celebrate with new businesses. 

“Frequently at the chamber, people call and tell us what we need in Rochelle,” Herrera said. “One we hear frequently is a book store. There's a lot of people that, even in this digital age, want that book in their hands to pick up and read. We're really excited to have you join us here in Rochelle. I want to thank Krista Stewart and Cypress House. They do such a great job of encouraging, fostering and giving opportunities to other businesses in Rochelle. We're always excited about those partnerships.”

Shaw-Dickey’s remarks focused on how supportive Rochelle’s small business community is. 

“Rochelle is such a special place,” Shaw-Dickey said. “We have an amazing chamber that supports our businesses. More importantly, we have businesses that support other businesses. I think that's one of the best things. There's enough success for everybody and I love that people like to collaborate here. I think it really makes Rochelle an amazing place to open and run a business and live. On behalf of the city, we're thrilled to have you. We're so excited for your new business and this joint venture.”