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by Timothy Sunderland (TopShelf Columnist)
Twitter @timthewriter | [email protected]
Allison Hill’s most memorable moments as CEO
of Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, CA, include
the many authors who have done reading’s and
book signings at the establishment, which opened
its doors more than 120 years ago. Her favorite,
however, is when Bill Clinton made an appearance
after the publication of one of his books.
“He was everything they say he is,” said Hill,
“charming, witty, and extremely well-read.”
Afterwards, the Secret Service asked Hill if she
could temporarily close the store so that the former
president could shop. “Then they asked me to shop
with him. So, it was me and President Clinton, and
a Secret Service agent sucking on a lollipop.
“I keep thinking it was a dream,” said Hill,
“but my managers remind me that it really
happened.”
“I’m so appreciative when anyone comes to our
bookstore,” she added. “But something like that
makes our month, maybe even makes our year.”
Special events and author readings are a big
part of what makes Vroman’s one of the oldest
and largest independent bookstores in Southern
California. They host 800 events a year across
three locations. Hill’s second-best memory was
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “There
wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” she said. “Her
story is amazing.” Hill also reveals that they have
put out feelers for the Obamas.
“A bookstore has to have a stellar reputation—
and experience working with the Secret Service––
to hold this kind of event,” said Hill. “We had
previously hosted President Carter, so that is a plus.”
The other element of Vroman’s success––the
old real estate adage: Location, location, location.
“Pasadena has Cal Tech, Art Center School of
Design, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” she
said. “The people that are drawn to those places
also translates into a population that would
support an independent book store.”
Vroman’s opened in Pasadena in 1894, the
brainchild of Adam Clark Vroman, an Illinois
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VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE
that important first encounter of on-line
daters. Dating websites often cite Vroman’s
as a local hangout to find mutual interests.
“It’s a safe place for a first date,” said Hill.
“You can really get to know someone in a
bookstore. For Valentine’s Day, we asked for
stories from people who met their spouse
here. We’ve even had a couple of proposals.”
“We also have an employee whose
grandmother worked here,” she said.
“Another whose great grandmother was part
of our staff. Several sets of siblings work
here, and a few parents and children.”
Vroman’s has also been the location for
movies and television shows, including
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Day, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Parks &
Recreation, Modern Family, and Naked Trucker.
One of Hill’s stipulations for filming is that
the store remains open during production.
Hill also admits to a few flops in the
ongoing effort to increase sales.
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transplant who came to California hoping the
weather would improve his wife’s health. She
nevertheless died two years later. Vroman
decided to transform the energy he would have
spent mourning her loss into a bookstore. He
sold his private book collection as capital for
opening the store.
Vroman died in 1916, but by that time his
bookstore had gained a toehold in the growing
city. He left the operation to a group of his
employees, one of whom was the great
grandfather of the current owner. Vroman’s
continued growing, partnering with the Pasadena
Library over the years, and even delivering books
to Japanese internees at the nearby Santa Anita
Racetrack during WWII.
Another Adam Vroman legacy was the
concept of always diversifying. Vroman was also
an avid photographer and the first bookstore
carried photographic supplies, augmenting sales
in the early years. Later came office sup plies.
There was also stationery, computer, and data
supplies. Today 28% of sales are other than
books, mostly gift items from unique sources.
Vroman’s also
partners with Jones
Coffee. The in-store
coffee shop is called
The Last Chapter.
Hill is considering
opening a wine bar.
“People query
the staff as to where
they can buy a glass
of wine all the
time,” said Hill. “I
began to ask myself,
‘Why am I sending
them away?’”
Hill came to
Vroman’s in 2009.
Before that she’d
been on the staff of
Book Soup, an
eclectic bookstore in
West Hollywood. The owner was ill and looking
for a responsible transition of ownership.
“Buying Book Soup was a big initiative,”
said Hill, pointing to a recession, the rise of
Kindle books and Amazon, to say nothing of
the presence of a Barnes & Noble a little over
a half mile away from Vroman’s on Colorado
Boulevard. “Vroman’s doubled down on the
book business at a time when it was risky, but it
has paid off.”
The 3,000 square-foot Book Soup remains
open. The main Vroman’s store occupies two
stories in Pasadena, encompassing 30,000
square feet, and another store in the Hastings
Ranch area of Pasadena covers 6,000 square
feet. Counting all three locations, Vroman’s
employs 215 people.
Another niche that Vroman’s has filled, not
intentionally, is as a prime meet-up location for
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“Kids clothing will haunt me,” she said.
“We found some vendors that we’re doing things
different. We built it, but they did not come. You
have to take those risks, though. One thing
Vroman’s has done well is take risks.”
If you visit Pasadena, and you can handle the
crowds, you might try New Years Eve and New
Years Day. The city swells to more than a million
people, lining Colorado Boulevard for the annual
Rose Parade. Vroman’s closes the night before,
and for the duration of the parade, but they open
as soon as the crowds disperse. And if you care to
take a walk a few blocks west to Oldtown
Pasadena, you’ll pass by the storefront that used
to house that Barnes & Noble we mentioned
earlier. The store closed in early 2014.
“Yep,” said Hill, not attempting to hide the pride
in her voice. “Vroman’s is the last man standing.”
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