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MITCHELL — For 14 years, Kalli Mimmack cared for patients in hospitals and clinics. Today, she hopes to care for people in a different way.
After leaving her position as clinic manager at the Avera Cancer Institute in June, Mimmack has opened eight : twenty eight, a Christian bookstore in the Corn Palace Plaza, trading scrubs for shelves filled with Bibles, devotionals, apparel and faith-based gifts.
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For Mimmack, the career change wasn’t about leaving behind a calling to serve others. It was about following what she believes is God leading her in a new direction.
“Sometimes you have to just take that leap of faith, trusting God’s plans with all your heart,” Mimmack said.
The store’s name comes from Romans 8:28, one of her favorite Bible verses: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Proverbs 3:5, which encourages believers to trust in the Lord rather than their own understanding, also helped guide her decision.
Mimmack began her nursing career in Mitchell in 2012 at Queen of Peace Hospital before working in labor and delivery, the operating room and clinic settings. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing in healthcare leadership in 2019 and most recently managed the Avera Cancer Institute clinic.
Her final day in healthcare was June 12.
While opening a bookstore may seem like an unlikely next chapter, Mimmack sees a common thread between the two careers.
“I still get to care for people,” she said. “I just get to do it in a different way.”
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Rather than simply operating a retail business, Mimmack envisions the store as a gathering place where people can grow in their faith together.
She hopes church groups, Bible studies, college students from Dakota Wesleyan University and Mitchell Technical College and anyone seeking a quiet place can use the space for fellowship. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, but Mimmack said she’s willing to open as early as 5 a.m. for devotional groups and gatherings over coffee.
Her husband already hosts a weekly men’s Bible study, and their daughter hopes to begin leading a devotional group for high school students.
The bookstore also features an espresso bar using coffee beans supplied by Bread and Vine, another downtown Mitchell business.
Located in the former Cornerstone Too storefront, which had been vacant since October, Mimmack and her husband transformed the space into the new bookstore. Customers still occasionally wander in looking for ice cream, a reminder of the building’s previous tenant.
The store offers a variety of products, including study Bibles, journaling Bibles, children’s Bibles, devotionals, apparel, jewelry, gifts and children’s toys.
One feature setting the business apart is free Bible embossing with purchases. Mimmack is also preparing to offer custom laser engraving and embossing for customers’ personal items once additional equipment arrives.
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Near the front of the store sits a prayer and verse wall where visitors can leave prayer requests or favorite Bible verses. During the first week alone, three rows quickly filled with handwritten notes.
Mitchell has been without a local bookstore since The Reader’s Den closed in 2021, and Mimmack said many customers have expressed excitement about having a faith-focused bookstore back in town.
The community response has exceeded Mimmack’s expectations.
She said complete strangers have walked into the store and prayed over her, while others have circled the building outside to pray before introducing themselves. Many have shared stories of how God has worked in their own lives.
“I’m feeling pretty lucky to do this every day,” she said.
Sales have also been strong. During Crazy Days, Saturday sales were double any other day during the store’s opening week, and several popular items sold out quickly, including “Bible in a Year” reading guides.
Residents have already expressed interest in working at the store, but for now, Mimmack is running the business with help from family and friends as needed.
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Launching the business was made easier through community support. After Mimmack presented her business plan, the Mitchell Area Chamber and Development Corporation approved a $2,500 entrepreneur loan and offered the storefront at a reduced rate for the summer to help launch the business. As part of the agreement, businesses filling the space were required to include a retail component.
The Chamber began offering discounted space after launching its student business competition this spring, hoping to give entrepreneurs an affordable place to start.
“We’re excited to welcome 8:28 Christian Bookstore to the Chamber Courtyard,” Mitchell Area Chamber and Development Corporation CEO Mike Lauritsen said. “We believe 8:28 is a great addition to downtown Mitchell, and we’re excited to watch them flourish as they build their business and become part of our community.”
For Mimmack, opening the bookstore fulfills a dream rooted in faith and family. Her parents own a medical transport business in Florida, her in-laws own Simply Unique in Mitchell, and her husband founded Anchor’D Recovery.
Though Mimmack has collected Bibles for years — she owns nine different versions herself — she said the store’s greatest purpose isn’t selling books or gifts.
Instead, she hopes it becomes a place where people find encouragement, community and a deeper relationship with God.
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Last modified: July 22, 2026
