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Vroman's and Book Soup announce new owners
Pasadena institution Vroman's Bookstore and West Hollywood's Book Soup announced Thursday that Robert Hoffman and his family will take over ownership of the two bookstores.
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FREDERIC J. BROWN
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena and Book Soup in West Hollywood have new owners after a nearly three-year-long search.
Who they are: Vroman's identified the new owners as Robert Hoffman and his family. Vroman's said Hoffman works in public policy and affairs in Washington D.C., but grew up in SoCal and has been coming to the store since he was 5-years-old.
The backstory: In 2024, Joel Sheldon announced plans to retire. Vroman's has been in his family for more than 100 years. In 2009, the Sheldon family bought Book Soup after the death of its owner threatened the future of the Sunset Strip staple.
Why it matters: Vroman's and Book Soup are local institutions. Vroman's has been around for 132 years, and Book Soup for 51 years. In his retirement announcement in 2024, Sheldon said that he was looking for "the right new ownership — someone who shares our core values and who is committed to preserving Vroman's as a community treasure."
In Thursday's announcement of the new owners, Sheldon said "After talking with Robert and his family, I knew we had found the right stewards. They understand what makes this store special, and they're committed to preserving that legacy while moving Vroman's forward for our customers and the Pasadena community."
In a social media post, Book Soup said the Hoffmans have been "customers here for three generations, and [are] genuinely invested in this community and continuing Book Soup’s legacy as a bookseller to the great and the infamous, and its loyal customers in West Hollywood."
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What's going to change: According to both stores, not much else. They say that their locations, staff, programming and curation will all stay the same.
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