As much as movie-watching these days might more commonly be a solo experience, at home on a laptop or a bedroom TV, Miller and co-owner Chris Emery’s vision of opening a video rental store in the year 2026 hinges on the notion that there was value in media consumption being a communal experience — and that, in fact, there still is.

Across town, Chris Emery and Jefferson Miller are working to launch their own shop, called Very Good Video Store. Inside a garage packed with VHS tapes and other media, the pair is building the inventory they hope will fill store shelves when they open later this year.

Nostalgia informs much of the newfound enthusiasm for the format. It’s what video store owner hopefuls Chris Emery and Jefferson Miller see as their guiding light. They are in the process of building a collection and looking for a space, hoping to open a location in the fall.