'Pages' Begins a New Chapter

Longtime friends Linda McLoughlin Figel and Patty Gibson had tossed around the idea for several years: Why not open a "corner bookstore" in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach?

The pair acted on this vision a few years back, attending a workshop on how to open a bookstore. They also had a third partner who later decided to bow out for personal reasons. When friend and fellow Manhattan Beach resident Margot Farris got wind of this, she joined on. The three women found an available space along Manhattan Avenue about two weeks later, signing a lease in November.

Gibson's childhood dream of opening a bookstore had finally become reality.

The result is a new independently-owned business called Pages: A Bookstore. Together, its three co-owners have a combined background in the finance, hospitality and entertainment industries.

The store's owners say their new venture is a throwback to the days of the corner bookstore—owned, operated and stocked by members of the community it serves.

"It's more intimate," said Farris, when asked what sets her shop apart from some of the bigger chain bookstores available to residents. "We're the owners and we will be working here. We know a lot of people in the community. It's special to come in and know who we are, and we can recommend books that we know our customers will like."

In addition to the store's namesake, other items for sale include gift cards, games, bookmarks, reading glasses and Moleskine brand journals. "We're hoping to get globes and bookends," said Farris, "things you would have in your library. We're trying to think of things that don't compete with our neighbors and are more literary."

Farris said she has already received requests from four or five local book clubs who want to hold events in the store.

New York Times best-selling author and breast cancer survivor Kelly Corrigan will sign and read from her new book, "Lift", from 5 to 7pm Sunday, March 21. The event already has 150 RSVPs on the bookstore's Web site, said Farris.

Manhattan Beach resident D.J. MacHale—author of the Pendragon series—will introduce his new book, "Morpheus Road," at 7pm Saturday, April 24.

"The community has really embraced this concept," said Farris of her store's "mom and pop" appeal. "One local woman contacted us and had the idea for our window paper flowers. She then organized 30 women to make and hang them for us; all for free. We made it a morning of coffee and bagels. It was fun for everyone."

Despite the early good cheer and shared enthusiasm, Farris remained clear-eyed about the reasons why many smaller bookstores have had to close their doors in the last few years, the dominance of national chain bookstores notwithstanding. "It's economics," she said. "Books are a low-margin business. And being a low-margin business means there's not a lot of room for error."

Success depends on the right combination of marketing, efficient day-to-day operations and quality products and service, she said. "I think we've got it figured out," she continued, adding, "At least we hope we do; we will see."

Pages: A Bookstore is located at 904 Manhattan Avenue in Manhattan Beach. Store hours are from 10am-6pm Mon through Wed; 10am-9pm Thu through Sat; and noon-5pm on Sunday. For more information, visit the store's Web site.