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.”…