Meet Lindsay Cotton of The Hill on Kercheval

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Cotton.

Hi Lindsay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up here in Grosse Pointe, and we had a bookstore in town. I loved going there and hanging out. It eventually closed and other chains came and went over time. I really missed that feeling of community and discovering books, and wanted to bring that back to my hometown. I also really love entertaining and good wine, food and coffee, so I wanted to incorporate all those elements into one place.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We broke ground right before Covid, so needless to say, that was a huge setback. We also did a complete teardown, and were tightly flanked between two other businesses, so construction was very tricky. Our contractors told me it was the most complicated project they had ever worked on. Once we opened, we were welcomed by the community. There are always some people who don’t appreciate the duality of the business – the fact that we are equally a bookshop and bistro/bar – preferring us to pick sides and be more one or the other, but for the most part, people have loved and embraced us, and that’s very rewarding.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I got married and had kids in my 20s, and I became a stay-at-home mom. I loved it, but of course as they got older, they needed me less and less, and I started really wanting to create something….and started dreaming up this idea of a bookstore bar. And no, I don’t have any experience with opening a business, but I’m determined, to say the least. I’m really proud that I created this unique space where people from all over the area come to visit and hang out. Grosse Pointe is the end of the line, if you will, as we’re up against Lake St Clair. If you’re not from here, you’re not really coming out here to visit, but people come to Flyleaf and that’s really rewarding. To see your dream come to fruition and see people enjoying a space you created.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
When we were finally under construction, I started hearing more about bookstore bars in news articles or on social media. I haven’t yet seen such an integrated concept like Flyleaf, meaning we are a full blown bistro AND bookshop AND bar. A lot more book/wine bars or book/cafes are popping up, which I think speaks to our need of wanting to connect in ways outside of social media or the internet. Bookstores have always been places of creativity, ideas, discovery, connection, gathering of minds, and I think people are really craving that right now and we’re going to see even more of that in the future. I would love to see that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flyleafgp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyleafgp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flyleafgp
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/flyleaf-grosse-pointe-farms-2