Pasadena Institution Vroman's Bookstore Is Looking For A Buyer

Vroman's Bookstore, an institution and a byword for the printed word familiar to many readers in Pasadena and across Los Angeles, is looking for a new buyer as the current owner gears up for retirement.

"As I approach my 80th birthday, it's time to begin the process of retiring and finding new ownership outside of the Sheldon family," Vroman's majority shareholder Joel Sheldon said in a statement posted on social media Thursday morning.

Sheldon told LAist that he has not identified a buyer, but that he was looking for "a local individual with business skills, and probably some wealth."

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"What you really need is commitment, passion, energy, a willingness to really dive in and learn the business," he said. "We need somebody who has some business experience, but there are underlying values that we're also looking for."

Vroman's puts on hundreds of community events, from musical performances to author readings to events for children. In 2020, Vroman's branched out to food and hospitality by opening up a wine store next to its flagship Pasadena store.

It's also attracted national attention over the years, being named the No. 1 bookstore in the nation by Publisher's Weekly in 2008.

The store has survived setbacks over the years, including an uncertain pandemic when the store called on customers for support.

Vroman's also operates a smaller store in Hastings Ranch, and the bookstore purchased Book Soup in 2009, after the death of its owner threatened the future of the Sunset Strip staple. All three stores are up for sale.

But Vroman's will always be synonymous with the charming little neighborhood that it has called home since 1894.

"Vroman's is Pasadena," says Joanne Larson, an 80-year-old resident who's lived the majority of her life in the city.

Larson remembers first going to the Colorado Boulevard store when she was a teenager to buy books to read for her school book reports.

Since then, she says she has made her sojourns to the bookstore into a weekly habit.

"Vroman’s always my go-to bookstore, even when I could get it cheaper on Amazon, I still go to Vroman’s," she said.

Currently, more than 150 employees work at the three locations. Majority shareholder Sheldon didn't rule out whether he'd entertain an offer from a buyer who intends to downsize the staff.

"I can't really answer until I know who the other person is and what their values are," he told LAist.

Sheldon also didn't rule out a purchase from a publishing house or nonprofit, similar to when the Los Angeles Public Library purchased Angel City Press late last year.

In the meantime, Vroman's will still move forward with its docket of community events, including a bonsai workshop, a fiction writing workshop, and a children's story hour.