Kepler's to Reopen This Saturday

On Monday, October 3, Kepler's announced that, after successfully renegotiating its lease with its landlord, the Tan Group, the popular Menlo Park, California, bookstore would reopen this coming Saturday, October 8. The reopening will be preceded by a public rally and celebration at 11:00 a.m. "I am excited and appreciative beyond words," Clark Kepler said in a prepared statement. "I appreciate the Tan Group's willingness to renegotiate our lease, paving the way for the bookstore's reopening."

As part of its reopening celebration, Kepler's will unveil a new membership program, Kepler's Literary Circle, and a schedule of upcoming author events to benefit the store. Those who sign up as members of the Circle on the 8th will become part of the "charter membership," which entitles them to a five percent discount on books purchased that day "as well as being recognized as charter members throughout the year." The Mercury News reported that for students memberships could be as low as $20, and for the highest donors could cost up to $2,500.

In addition, the store plans to raffle $500 worth of books at the rally. Volunteers are working on a Kepler's Benefit Week, planned for November 1 to 6, which will feature unique events each day to promote membership in the Literary Circle.

Kepler plans to close his business office in Belmont and relocate it, along with the staff, to the bookstore, and rumors about the store reducing its size are false, as reported by the Palo Alto Weekly.

The store's financial problems came to light in late August when Kepler, citing an inability to rebound from the economic downturn since 2001, abruptly shut Kepler's doors. Less than a week later, community support for the 50-year-old cultural institution culminated in a rally that drew more than 450 people, where Kepler received pledges of support from an array of elected officials, business leaders, and others in the book industry.

Soon after, Kepler's announced the formation of a "Patron's Circle of 17 community-minded individuals who will provide the financial basis for the bookstore's renaissance and a Board of Directors that will add substantial financial and business expertise to Kepler's while keeping its heart and soul alive." The Patron's Circle is moving toward turning their pledges into reality, "providing the financial basis for the bookstore's renaissance," according to Kepler.

In September, Anne Banta, Kepler's chief marketing officer, told BTW that the store had received over $500,000 in pledges from investors that was earmarked to pay back debts, buy books, establish long-term marketing programs, and build a much broader and deeper website.