Book Soup facts for kids
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Glenn Goldman |
| Headquarters | West Hollywood, California |
| Products | books |
Book Soup is a famous independent bookstore located in West Hollywood, California. It's on Sunset Boulevard, a very well-known street. This store is the biggest independent bookstore in Hollywood that sells all kinds of books.
Book Soup is known for its tall stacks of books and many shelves. These shelves are packed with titles that attract people from the entertainment and tourism industries. Many famous authors and celebrities have visited the store for events. Some of these include Muhammad Ali, Howard Stern, Annie Leibovitz, and members of The Doors. Book Soup is seen as an important part of the Sunset Strip. It has even appeared in movies and TV shows!
How Book Soup Started
Book Soup was founded in 1975 by a person named Glenn Goldman. Glenn and his friend David Mackler were both studying at UCLA at the time. They managed to raise $50,000 to start their business.
After looking at many places, they decided to open Book Soup on Sunset Boulevard. Glenn explained that this area had a lot of new ideas in the 1960s. He felt that the people living nearby would really support a bookstore. The name "Book Soup" was chosen because it was the least confusing idea they had. The store was located between a special shop and a nightclub. David Mackler designed the inside of the store.
Growing and Changing Over Time
For the first 20 years, the store and its small team, including Glenn, found it hard to make money. Book Soup almost closed down very early on. But a helpful person from a publishing company stepped in. They helped the store get credit again, which saved the business.
In 1985, Book Soup faced trouble again and almost closed. Another publisher's representative loaned them money to keep going. To help the business, Book Soup added a newsstand called "News Mews." This newsstand sold thousands of magazines and newspapers from all over the world.
In the late 1980s, Book Soup moved to a bigger location on Sunset Boulevard. It expanded to offer 50,000 different book titles. The store also became famous for its books on art, photography, film, and music. It continued to host exciting events with well-known authors and celebrities. Some of these guests included Gore Vidal, James Ellroy, and Tom Stoppard.
New Locations and Challenges
In 2002, a second Book Soup store opened in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. However, this store closed in 2007. The rent was very high, and it was hard to compete with big online stores like Amazon.com. It also faced competition from large discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target.
As of July 2017, you can find a branch of Book Soup at the Los Angeles airport. It's located in the departure area of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Glenn Goldman announced he was selling Book Soup on January 2, 2009. Sadly, he passed away the very next day, on January 3, 2009. Later that year, on October 9, 2009, Vroman's Bookstore and Book Soup signed an agreement. This agreement meant that Vroman's Bookstore would buy Book Soup.
