Meet the Team

Meet the Founder and Co-Owner

The founder of Books and Bakery is 24-year-old, McKenzie Crawford. McKenzie is mother of three young boys, Theo, Eli and Jack. McKenzie was born and raised in Carroll, Iowa. She attended and graduated Carroll's public school. As a young girl, McKenzie knew she wanted to run her own small, local business. Reading has played a large role in her life. Many childhood memories include a book in hand or a book sitting nearby. It seemed it only made sense to open a shop and assist others with their book related needs. To see more of McKenzie, find her social media information here.

  

Meet the Best Volunteer!

McKenzie's brother, Alex Crawford, helps with operating and managing the store. Alex is responsible for donation intake, packaging, deliveries, stocking and organizing inventory, and occasionally retail. He is autistic and non-speaking, so please be kind when interacting with him. Alex and Kenzie have always been close, so it only made sense they went into business together. With a few accommodations and some assistance, Alex has been jumping headfirst into helping the business grow. If you'd like to see more about Alex, you can find his social media here

 

 

 Meet the Manager and Co-Owner

Meet Nichole! Nichole manages the bookstore Monday-Friday. She handles inventory, our Blind Date with a Book, stocking shelves, packaging orders, answering phone calls, updating displays, moving fixtures, coordinating events, retail sales, and just about everything else in between! Nichole is Mom to Alex (volunteer) and McKenzie (co-owner). She also has another adult daughter, Taylor. Nichole has been married for 25 years this year to the bookstore's muscle, Mark. She's spent many years in various retail positions as well as long term care facilities. Before joining the Books and Bakery team, making the business truly a family business, she was a stay-at-home grandmother to her grand babies. Nichole is originally from Denison and grew up there before moving to Carroll. She's always ready to help customers with any of their bookish needs.