Owner Montana Bellagamba holds “City of Iron and Ivy” by local author Thomas Kent Weat, at Bell House Books, which is holding its grand opening Saturday within the Ice House Mall & Vintage Shops in Barrington. | Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Barrington resident Montana Bellagamba is bringing her passion for books to the town where she grew up — and filling a need in her hometown.
Bell House Books, 200 Applebee St., is holding its grand opening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the historic Ice House Mall & Village Shops.
Bellagamba began the business out of her home — its name refers to both her name and the business’ domestic origins — and began hosting pop-ups at women-owned shops in the area, as well as the village’s farmers market, now known as Thursday Night Out.
Now, she has her own nearly 1,100-square-foot space.
Bell House Books in Barrington aims at filling a diverse appetite for books. | Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Bellagamba’s background is in hospitality, food and beverage, which translates into a public-facing business. She and her husband Thomas Bellagamba, whom she met at Countryside Elementary School, moved back to Barrington from Chicago and have two young children. She has spent the past seven years working for consulting firms.
After they moved back, she found people she knew had also moved back. She also found a network of other female entrepreneurs who were willing to welcome her into their spaces, including the Pepper Pot, a needlepoint and mahjong store located within the mall.
“One thing that really took me by surprise is just the amount of female entrepreneurs in this town and how truly inspiring they are,” she said. “They are willing to connect and collaborate and help you grow.”
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