Sales were steady midmorning Tuesday at Garlic City Books, where
a stream of patrons exited the neoclassical building carrying
bulging bags of reading material. Full article
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Sales were steady midmorning Tuesday at Garlic City Books, where a stream of patrons exited the neoclassical building carrying bulging bags of reading material.
For employees such as Ann Marie Saaks and Conrad Montes, however, the sudden influx of customers enticed by $1 bargains is bittersweet. The used bookstore is going out of business, and its owners are cleaning house prior to reinventing themselves.
“Bad news travels fast,” said Saaks, standing behind the counter inside the historic locale at 7490 Monterey St.
Montes sat glued to the register several feet away, busied with a self-replenishing line of shoppers.
From the biography on “Brangelina” to “Symbolism of the Celtic Cross,” everything is priced at a buck to make way for new inventory. When the sale kicked off June 25 – the same day as the Garlic City Fun Run – transactions were through the roof, Saaks said.
“We’ve probably done $2,700 in three days, which is half of what we did in the month before,” said owner Brad Jones, who operates Booksmart in Morgan Hill with his wife, Cinda Meister. He said Garlic City Books normally averages $200 a day.
While Gilroyans welcomed the independent book retailer when it opened roughly year ago, Jones maintained “if they really want it, they have to prove it. I always say people vote with their wallet.”
Despite supportive regulars and good feedback, Jones said their Garlic Capital venture never fully blossomed into something sustainable.
“Which surprised us, because we thought people in this time were looking for value,” he surmised. “For some reason, we were never getting enough bodies through the store.”
It can’t be attributed to beginner’s error. Having operated Booksmart with Meister for 17 years, the pair aren’t exactly strangers to the trade.
Jones touched on parking issues, speculating spaces occupied by store employees impede consistent foot traffic and discourage locals from taking the time to stop and wander around.
“I don’t really understand it,” he said. “I can come downtown and every parking place will be gone, but there isn’t anybody on the street.”
Rather than abandon their infrastructure in Gilroy entirely, the plan is to close Garlic City Books, revamp the store and reopen with a new angle. Mentioning related businesses such as Mango Street Kids and Studio Three, Jones and Meister will hone in on a family-oriented market that already possesses a strong presence in the area.
Hence the possibility of opening a ‘Booksmart Kids,’ a nook touting children’s literature, toys, educational workbooks, candy selection and ice cream. Garlic City Book’s signature Fair Trade & Organic Press Pot coffee will still be available for parents in need of a java boost, too.
“That’s our plan – to extend the niche down there, and hopefully we’ll do enough traffic to be viable. Otherwise, by Christmas we’ll make another decision we don’t want to make,” said Jones.
Thumbing through options with one free hand while holding his 9-month-old son in the other, Mike Wright said he’s “totally bummed” to see Garlic City Books going out of business, as he enjoys all the “obscure and crazy stuff. You never know what you’re going to get.”
Like the collected works of Pierre Louys, for example. Sporting a forest-green hardcover and antique binding, the faded copy was signed by a former owner and dated “1946.”
Browsing the shelves while clutching her stack of finds, patron Linda Williams said she frequents the store Saturdays after eating breakfast at one of the local restaurants. People will be more encouraged to come downtown if there are things to do after they dine, she pointed out.
“I hate it. It’s sad,” she said, of Garlic City’s closure. The Gilroyan of six years added, “I thought it was a big step forward.”
In light of changes, however, employee Conrad Montes doesn’t have a jaded attitude. Rather, he’s looking at things as glass half full.
“I’m excited about what the future and what it will bring here,” he said, perched on a stool behind the register. “Change is good. There’s only room to improve.”
Saaks said the goal has always been centered around enhancing the vibrancy of Gilroy’s regenerating social scene. No matter what transpires with the passing of time, she wants to see the space – a building Saaks coined “a masterpiece” – utilized to its full potential as a successful, contributing business.
As for their Morgan Hill enterprise, Jones said the store is doing well in spite of a rough patch in the beginning of the year. They’ve done their best to push through it – selling their home, reducing inventory and keeping their spirits up by staying in touch with patrons.
Jones described their customers as “wonderful,” adding if he and Meister are having a bad day, they’ll just go to work.
“We love downtown, we love the building we’re in. We want to try to continue to make and impact down there,” he said. “We’re willing to do whatever it is people tell us they’re looking for. We’re dedicated to South County.”
While he admitted having to reinvent themselves after two and a half years of planning and operating is very disappointing, Jones concluded there’s no looking back once you make a decision.
“You have to move forward.”
