Heather Stiefel Whittemore has wanted to start a business since she was a child. And she loves reading.

So, it just seemed like a natural fit for her to open up a bookstore.

On Tuesday, her dream became a reality with the opening of On the Side Books and More at 10 Kennedy St. in Bradford.

A grand opening celebration took place at the store with a small gathering and a ribbon cutting. After the ceremony, people starting pouring in, she said. As of around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, 75 people had visited the bookstore, Whittemore said.

“At the Chamber, we’ve been hearing a lot of excitement about the return of a bookstore to the Bradford community – it’s something people have definitely missed,” said Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kara Kennedy. “It was great to be there for the grand opening this morning and see customers of all ages coming in to check out On the Side Books. In the short time I was there today, I saw not one, but several different toddlers curl up with their parents or grandparents to look at a new book together.”

People weren’t after just one kind of book –– they were interested in a mix of genres, Whittemore said.

Among the patrons was Brian Berlin of Bradford, who called the store uplifting.

“Books help your mind grow. Having a bookstore back in Bradford is heartwarming,” he said.

Berlin said he enjoys books on traveling, spiritual and inspirational.

The concept for a bookstore is a year in the making, Whittemore said. She and her husband Brandon renovated the former paint store into a treasure trove of books, spending long hours getting things ready.

In the future, she said the business might have story hours as well as bookstore birthday parties.

“The adventure is in the journey. It’s not always in the end result,” said Brandon Whittemore, who also sells DirecTV and Exede internet at the store.

The bookstore is open on from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Tuesdays through Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays.