Kepler's Closes :o(

> Thursday, September 01, 2005
A California Institution Shuts Its Doors
Kepler's Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, Calif., one of Northern California's oldest and most venerated stores, has unexpectedly closed after what turns out to be several years of financial struggle. The closure was reportedly announced at a staff meeting yesterday morning with owner Clark Kepler, where he said the store would be filing for bankruptcy today.

In its 50 years, Kepler's was a premier independent that served Stanford and the peninsula region--which includes Silicon Valley--south of San Francisco. A sign posted on the door expressed gratitude to customers and cited "the economic downturn since 2001 [which] has proven to be more from which we can rebound."

Many in the Bay Area expressed shock yesterday, with the NCIBA's Hut Landon calling it "a tremendous loss." Named PW's Bookseller of the Year in 1994, Kepler's had expanded in 1989 and made management and other changes to fend off the onslaught of the chains during the '90's while retaining much its indie feel. The store attracted a list of heavy-hitters; upcoming appearances were to have included Alan Alda and Salman Rushdie on October 3. Signs for these events were still in the store's darkened windows yesterday.

About a dozen of the 50 former employees gathered outside the store yesterday. Cynthia St. John, a bookseller and buyer, said Kepler "was clearly devastated," while in a separate interview, Michael Tucker, owner of Books Inc, a local independent chain, said he had "no inkling that this was coming." Clark Kepler could not be reached for comment.


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