Palo Alto, CA – Today, Books Inc. and Ellis Partners LLC have announced that Books Inc. will open in the renovated Town and Country Center February 1, 2008. Books Inc. is relocating its Palo Alto store from the Stanford Shopping Center – where it opened in 1957, and will lease 4,000 square feet at Town and Country Center, just as the center nears completion of a $25 million renovation. Books Inc. will occupy a prominent location on Embarcadero, near Hobees, Kirk’s Steakburgers, and Peet’s.
Books Inc. is one of the Bay Area’s most successful independent booksellers and can trace its lineage back to 1851. It operates 10 Bay Area locations, including 2 at SFO. Books Inc., Palo Alto’s oldest general interest independent bookseller, has partnerships with C-A-R in Palo Alto and several local schools and is responsible for donating thousands of dollars back into the Palo Alto community every year.
Books Inc. is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Palo Alto and expects to better serve its loyal customers in this new location. “Despite the well-known challenges to our industry, Books Inc. has proven that independent booksellers can thrive when we’re in the heart of a community,” said Michael Tucker, President of Books Inc. “We belong here and we appreciate Ellis Partners for their commitment to create an atmosphere at T & C that is more about what the people of this community really want than their own bottom line.”
“We’re elated to have Books, Inc as part of Palo Alto’s history at Town and Country. We could have leased this space to “cookie cutter” or luxury retail, but we’re committed to a mix of specialty and everyday retail that fits the community and strengthens the neighborhood vision we have for Town and Country,” said Jim Ellis, Principal of Ellis Partners.
Town and Country’s neighborhood and family-oriented tenant mix will be enhanced by other announcements made today: two additional incoming Town and Country tenants are Mom’s the Word, a maternity wear boutique; and Honeys & Heroes, the sister store of Pumpkin, Hip Clothes for Cool Babes in San Francisco. Two important legacy tenants have also signed new leases: Metro Sport, which sells running apparel, footwear and accessories; and Douce France, a French bakery and café.
“These are not chain retailers; these are unique local businesses with merchandise that doesn’t exist elsewhere,” added Ellis.
About Ellis Partners:
Ellis Partners LLC was founded in 1993 for the purpose of acquiring and developing commercial real estate properties. The firm has a long history of championing and completing architecturally significant renovation projects.
About Books Inc.:
Books Inc. is a locally owned and operated independent bookseller with 10 locations in California. Books Inc.’s origin dates back to the Gold Rush Days of 1851 when Anton Roman struck it rich in Shasta City, California and set himself up in business selling books. That small bookstore was moved, bought, sold, burned, rebuilt, renamed and became Books Inc., as it is known today, in 1946. With over 200 employees, the focus of Books Inc. is now and always has been customer service.