Mary Ryan's was established in 1975 by Phil Ryan, who named the bookshop after his mother, Mary Ryan.

Bill Concannon is the current CEO of Mary Ryan's Books, Music and Coffee. He and his partner, Jackie Fulton, have built Mary Ryan's from one store to its current nine since taking over in September 2000. Bill has been involved in the book selling industry for over 30 years: he is an avid supporter of independent bookselling that maximises the enjoyment for all involved. He also sits on the Queensland Premier's Literary Award Judging Panel.

Mary Ryan's company stores are located in Milton, New Farm, Noosa and Toowoomba. December 2005 saw our first Franchise Stores open at Bulimba and Byron Bay.

Opened in November 2000 and situated on Park Road, Mary Ryan's Milton is our flagship store. Mary's Milton boasts our largest selection of books, a beautiful coffee shop in the centre of the store as well as a colourful kids' corner. In 2000 Mary Ryan's opened the Paddington store on its original site in one of Brisbane's prettiest suburbs. Mary Ryan's Paddington is full of surprises, with a gorgeous coffee shop downstairs. It is a delightful atmosphere for authors and their readers to celebrate launches and participate in book events. This store became a Franchise in April 2007.

Situated in the Merthyr Village, Mary's New Farm opened in 2001 and is accessible and close to the heart of everything; it is one of our smallest and cutest stores.

September 2000 saw the opening, of Mary Ryan's Noosa on Hastings Street, the busiest and most popular street of Noosa Heads.

Opened in 2004, Mary Ryan's Toowoomba is situated in the Heritage Building, Ruthven Street. Mary's Toowoomba boasts a fantastic selection of books, a beautiful coffee shop in the centre of the store, and a fabulous ABC Centre.

Christmas 2005 saw two Franchised stores open. The Bulimba store is located in the heart of Oxford Street and is a superb venue for the after school mothers looking for a coffee break. The contempory setting of the Byron Bay store is welcoming to both holiday makers and locals alike, the perfect place to enjoy and relax all day.

In March 2007 two more Franchises were established. Springfield Lakes was the first to open at the Orion Shopping town. Along with an outdoor cafe the store also has an ABC Centre. Located at Pialba in Hervey Bay our latest Franchise offers an exclusive handmade chocolate selection in their cafe as well as a wide range of books and a large ABC Centre.