San Francisco Examiner Reports Hundreds of community members showed support for their favorite independent bookstore Tuesday, rallying in the plaza outside Kepler’s Bookstore and then congregating in City Hall, where the City Council hosted an idea-gathering meeting aimed at saving the store from bankruptcy.
Kepler’s closed its doors suddenly last week after 50 years of selling books on the Peninsula. The closure has sparked a wave of support from elected officials, former politicians, lawyers and literary agents, all pledging to help owner Clark Kepler reopen the store at its current El Camino Real location.
Land Values
Well, since it’s been where it is for 50 years, land values have probably increased and since the landlord is not willing to negotiate, sounds like he or she has plans for that land that would
generate more revenues than the bookstore, say another condo or another mall, etc.
It’s too bad that indy owners can’t get help before the doors close, but it may be that the big megachains and online book vendors are just too big to compete with. And perhaps potential investors respond initially but can’t stay with it for the long haul…
Are book sales enough to keep these store open or
do they need alternative plans…like libraries have…with coffeeshops,etc..to survive?
Re:Land Values
Some of your assumptions are off.
Kepler’s has been in its current location for about 15 years. Its lease was last negotiated c.2000, so the payments were based on the then-current Silicon Valley boom.
After Clark Kepler announced he was closing last week, the landlord suddenly seemed willing to negotiate. Kepler’s is a large and prestigious retailer. I’m not sure the landlord could get another tennant so easily.
From http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2005/2 005_09_07.kepsavedmb.shtml More about potential investors in this article, too.
Re : “From the Hey hey dept.”
Blake, weren’t you ever in any protests? I believe this has to be from the “Ho Ho, hey hey these books have got to stay” dept. Much better ring to it.
Re:Re : “From the Hey hey dept.”
HA! No actually, I’ve never been in one before, I thought the chants always went “hey hey ho ho” but yours is much better!