Rising from the ashes, East Bay Booksellers reopens for holiday shopping season

Albert Buixadé Farré was among the first customers at the new East Bay Booksellers in Rockridge, its beige walls newly painted, the faint scent of fresh wood filling the air. Spotlights illuminated bookshelves, blending with the sunlight streaming in from outside to create a warm and inviting ambiance. Newly arrived books rested on the shelves, waiting for book lovers to take them home.

East Bay Booksellers held a soft reopening at 6022 College Ave. the Saturday after Thanksgiving, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Four months earlier, a fire destroyed its original location a few blocks away. The independent bookstore is known for its curated selection of small and university press publications and wide variety of translated books

“I’m so happy they were able to set up again quickly,” said Farré, a longtime customer who had visited the old store twice a month with his two kids. 

Cherrie Chen Kim eagerly waited in line for the store to open with a few other customers. Speaking warmly about the staff’s thoughtful recommendations, she added, “I also love how they center a lot of authors of color.”

In just a few months, store owner Brad Johnson made a remarkable comeback, setting up a sandwich board announcing the store on Small Business Saturday. The cost of purchasing new books and renting the new space was mostly covered by insurance, plus about $233,000 raised through GoFundgoMe. The new location, however, is only a temporary home, half the size of the original, set to operate for six months. It can stock about 6,000 titles. 

“This is the best I can find in this short amount of time, and I want to keep my options open for next year to see if I can find a larger space,” Johnson said.

The cause of the fire at the original location, 5433 College Ave., is still undermined, but it’s likely accidental, said Michael Hunt, Oakland Fire Department spokesperson.

The store’s return was supported by local businesses, book publishers, and its Rockridge neighbors. Bookshelves were made by local carpenters. Publishing houses like Penguin Random House and Two Lines Press donated gifts. During the four months after the fire, Johnson ran the business basically online. Thanks to the cooperation of nearby retailers like Atomic Garden, which opened its doors as a pick-up spot for online book orders, East Bay Booksellers was able to stay in business even after the fire. Orinda Books offered logistical support, acting as East Bay Booksellers’ “backroom,” said owner Pat Rudebusch. “We gave them whatever space they needed.” 

Major publishers, including the University of California Press and Columbia University Press, wrote off debts or replaced destroyed inventory. City Lights Books in San Francisco donated books. Bathers Library held two pop-up book shops for East Bay Booksellers. Gilman Brewing Co. hosted fundraisers, featuring discussions with authors Hernan Diaz and Sam Sacks.

During the reopening, the store was bustling with activity: Couples with small children nestled in the kids’ section, older readers browsed beautifully curated shelves with novels and books on cooking, poetry, drama, philosophy, travel and more. Adorning the front counter were bouquets of flowers and greeting cards offering congratulations. 

Johnson’s journey with East Bay Booksellers began long before its name adorned the storefront. The original shop had been a neighborhood staple, first as Diesel, where Johnson started working in 2012, then as East Bay Booksellers since 2017. The store is a close-knit community, with four to six staff members at a time, including one who has been with Johnson since the Diesel days. 

Johnson isn’t sure where the permanent set up will be, but said, “We will definitely be in the neighborhood.”

Kevin Peters, a sales representative for book publishers, came to the reopening to support Johnson, an old friend. 

“I appreciate Brad Johnson’s sense of curation, taste and esthetics for the books he brings in. It made me so happy to come here on their first day and support him again,” Peters said. 

Early in the afternoon, as customers came in and out, Johnson held high a cup and gave a toast to the crowd that now packed the store.

“Everything is temporary in this life,” Johnson said. “This is a celebration of that. You all have been an inspiration to so many people around the country in terms of what you’ve done for us. I really appreciate the fact that you’ve let us challenge you with our sometimes very quirky tastes and personality.”  

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