How a No. 1 bestselling book inspired by Columbus impacts tourism in the city

In the novel “Theo of Golden,” a stranger moves into a Southern town and embeds himself in the local community. In Columbus, Golden pilgrims are now doing the same.

Allen Levi of Harris County originally self-published “Theo of Golden” in 2023. A singer-songwriter, former judge and lawyer, Levi never intended for the book to have a nationwide release, WRBL reported, but after gaining popularity, the publishing house Simon and Schuster acquired its distribution rights in October 2025. Less than a year later, the book has sold over 1 million copies, spent months on the New York Times Best Sellers list and been praised by Oprah Winfrey.

As of June 28, it’s ranked No. 1 on the Times’ list for combined print and e-book fiction.

“Theo of Golden” is a story about an 86-year-old man who moves into the fictional city of Golden and starts bequeathing to residents portraits fresh off the walls of a downtown coffee shop. Levi grew up in Columbus, and Golden is heavily inspired by his hometown.

Thanks to the success of “Theo of Golden,” Columbus is benefiting from its wave of literary travel.

Tourism agency VisitColumbusGA told the Ledger-Enquirer it cannot track the number of visitors coming to Columbus because of the book. But in interviews with the L-E, local business owners did, at least anecdotally, quantify the impact.

Melissa Keating, owner of Epic Restaurant with her husband, Jamie, said 15 to 20 parties a month make reservations at Epic as the “last leg” of their “Theo of Golden”-inspired Columbus tour. Jud Richardson, co-owner of Fountain City Coffee, said up to 20% of the coffee shop’s traffic relates to the novel. Alek Ansley, owner of JudyBug’s Books, said the store has up to 50 people a day dropping in because of the book.

“Theo of Golden” repackages many landmarks in downtown Columbus and transforms them into staples of the fictional Golden.

Fountain City Coffee becomes the Chalice in Golden, still lined with pencil-drawn portraits of ordinary people who are frequent customers. Golden’s Promenade is much like Broadway in Columbus, and the novel’s protagonist sits every day on a bench by the Fedder, a historic fountain much like those around Fountain City.

“I like to go into Fountain City (Coffee) often and you can tell when someone’s there because of the book,” VisitColumbusGA president and CEO Ashley Woitena told the L-E. “Seeing their eyes light up when they see the portraits and going in there and experiencing Columbus, it’s been really cool to see.”

‘Theo of Golden’ fans hit the road and create new memories

Khristina Gallagher owns Columbus Bound Bookshop in midtown. People come to the store to purchase and talk about “Theo of Golden” almost every day, she told the L-E.

A few weeks ago, a couple from Opelika, Alabama, stopped by the bookshop during a birthday trip to Columbus. They were already fans of the book, but they purchased an additional copy from Columbus Bound.

As they hit each stop of their “Theo of Golden” tour in Columbus, they had people sign their new copy.

“It’s not New York,” Gallagher said. “It’s not London. It’s something that you really, really loved, and it’s maybe in your backyard.”

Most visitors re-creating the book’s fictional journey live in the region, Ansley said. Some groups are coming from out of state, as far away as Texas and North Carolina, Keating said.

Fountain City Coffee launched “Golden Hour,” a new light roast to celebrate “Theo of Golden,” Richardson said. The shop is also expanding its merch options to keep up with demand.

“The coffee shop is the most tangible piece of the book in Columbus, in my opinion.,” Richardson said. “People are amazed that it is real, and they can just walk inside the walls. You have all the portraits, and it feels like you’re inside the book.”

Some traveling fans of the originally self-published novel are also self-titled. Gallagher said many “Theo of Golden” visitors have dubbed themselves “Golden pilgrims,” forging a community out of a book that celebrates spontaneous personal connections.

“Everybody that comes in here that’s from out of town, I tell them about it,” Gallagher said. “I’m like, ‘You’re a Golden pilgrim now. Welcome.’”

Book influencers, self-guided tour promote literary travel in Columbus

VisitColumbusGA, in partnership with Columbus Ahead, is inviting several content creators in the coming months to create travel and literary content related to “Theo of Golden” and its Columbus connections.

The influencers have audiences across several platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, to showcase how readers can see the book come to life when they visit.

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to create some resources, experiences and shepherd the visitor experience for those that are coming here in love with the book to help them fall in love with the real Columbus,” VisitColumbusGA director of marketing and communications Danielle Ackerman told the L-E.

VisitColumbusGA also offers a “book-inspired guide” to Columbus, helping visitors see notable locations.

The guide suggests starting at the intersection of Broadway and 10th Street before visiting Fountain City Coffee and walking along the Chattahoochee River.

When asked whether VisitColumbusGA would offer guided tours related to “Theo of Golden,” Ackerman said such programming is possible, but visitors enjoy the thrill of an impromptu adventure.

“Right now, what is really resonating with travelers is this idea of discovery and the ability for them to come discover themselves and create their own experiences,” Ackerman said.

An epic restaurant experience in Columbus

In “Theo of Golden,” the novel’s protagonist shares a chef’s table meal with the local bookseller. The fictional fine dining experience resembles Epic Restaurant in Columbus, making it a stop for visitors living out Theo’s journey for themselves.

Keating bought “Theo of Golden” for her daughter as a Christmas gift while spending the holidays in the mountains of upstate New York. At the time, Keating, a friend of Levi, had no idea a restaurant inspired by her own would appear in the novel. Levi later sent Keating a hard copy of the book with a note explaining how the restaurant was solely based on Epic.

“We feel very humbled and very thankful that he chose us to be included in such a wonderful story,” Keating said.

Last month, a book club from Tampa, Florida, requested a “Theo of Golden”-inspired menu at Epic’s chef’s table. The menu featured several nods to the book, with courses titled “Ninety-Two Portraits” and “The Chalice.” The dessert course, a peach cheesecake, came with edible portrait sketches.

Linda Brandt was part of the Florida group. She lived in Columbus in 1996 when her husband was stationed at Fort Benning. Brandt told the L-E she was touched by the meal’s level of detail.

“Everything was over the top,” Brandt said. “Nothing we could have ever dreamed of. It was incredible.”

Chef’s table menus are built on the element of surprise. So, in true chef’s table fashion, Levi surprised the superfans during the meal as “one of the courses,” Keating said.

“I was speechless,” Brandt said. “I was crying. I was a little bit in shock. ... Him doing that just seemed like an Allen Levi thing.”

At Epic, Keating said hospitality guides the entire dining experience. People who enter the restaurant are treated as guests, not customers. Keating said Epic’s desire to treat everyone with the best possible service aligns with the book’s heartfelt messages about the power of kindness and connection.

“Hospitality is the basis and the foundation of a restaurant,” Keating said. “Food feeds the soul. Food brings people together.”

‘Theo of Golden’ fans connect over its humble themes

While on vacation in Seattle, Gallagher chatted with a local bookstore owner about “Theo of Golden.” Another customer in the store joined the conversation, sharing they too were reading the book and discovering a world based on Columbus.

“There’s this level of recognition all over our country that goes pretty much unprompted,” Gallagher said. “All you have to do is say the name, and there’s total recognition of who we are now.”

Gallagher said part of the book’s appeal is its “positive, uplifting message.” Keating praised the novel for its celebration of unsolicited generosity.

“‘Theo of Golden’ is an eye-opener to be kind to everybody, no matter what, and don’t expect anything in return because your return is just feeling good about yourself and what you’ve done,” Keating said.

For Ansley, the novelty of the book, like the portraits in Fountain City, is how it shines a spotlight on ordinary people.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Ansley said. “Walking in and seeing all these people, and they are just like you and me. That only exists here.”