Vroman's bookstores, beloved by bookworms across SoCal, up for sale

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The owner of Vroman's Bookstore, which has been a go-to spot for Southern California bookworms for decades, is selling both locations in Pasadena, as well as Book Soup in West Hollywood.

The owner, Joel Sheldon, said in an Instagram post Thursday that he's in the process of retiring with his 80th birthday coming up. Now, he's looking for new ownership outside of his family.

"My family has been the steward of Vroman's for over 100 years of its 130-year history. For almost 50 years, I have had the privilege of serving as Vroman's owner and steward, preceded by generations of leadership by my father, grandfather, and uncles," the post read. "...Vroman's deserves new ownership with the vision, energy, and commitment necessary to take it successfully into the future."

Long-time customers of the bookstore are heartbroken and hope the future of the store is taken care of.

"When something like this goes away, it just forces you to go to Amazon and the idea of browsing through shelves is kinda old school, but it does allow discovery and you find new exciting things that way," said Matthew Morris. "It's a great center for the community."

In the Instagram post, Sheldon said the goal is to keep business going as usual to avoid disruption to customers and employees.

"We are looking for an individual or group of owners that understands the legacy of Vroman's and wants to continue our core values," Sheldon told Eyewitness News.