UWS Book Culture Finance Woes Could Shut Down Entire Chain: Owner

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN — The sudden closure of a popular bookstore chain's struggling location on Columbus Avenue could threaten to shut down all four of the company's businesses in Manhattan and Queens, the owner said Wednesday.

Book Culture, which has four locations across the two boroughs, was forced to close its 450 Columbus Ave. location Tuesday morning, after the landlord had it seized for unpaid rent on Tuesday morning, kicking out its staff and parents and children that had gathered for a storytime session, owner Chris Doeblin said.

The bookstore had fallen more than three months — or nearly $200,000 — behind in rent over the summer, and had even started asking customers to lend money to keep it afloat.

But Doeblin said Wednesday that the seizure, which came as a shock based on agreements he had with the landlords, could be the final straw for the company.

"The landlord is suddenly asking for the entire amount due which we have reduced to $140,000," he said in an email to customers. "Without making this payment we will not open again at Columbus and the bankruptcy of that entity could cause all our stores to close which we have been fighting against."

The bookstore chain first revealed its financial troubles in July, when Doeblin said that across all four stores the company needed $750,000 to stay open.

About $175,000 of that was in back rent for the Columbus Avenue location, he said.

But after starting a "community lending" program with donations from customers, he ended up working out an agreement with the landlords to slowly pay off the back rent to avoid being shut down. The community lending program had raised about $600,000 by the holidays, he said.

Doeblin said he delivered checks to the landlords in person each month since August — including $37,000 of the back rent debt —and was even told an eviction notice for Jan. 2 would not be executed.

Now, he said, the landlords say the full $140,000 left in back rent is required to reopen the store.

"I was told... nothing less than the immediate full repayment of the arrears and taxes and legal bills is acceptable," Doeblin said.

For now, the other three stores — including locations on Broadway, West 112th Street and on Jackson Avenue in Queens — remain open.

Staff from the Columbus Avenue location will work at the other stores until their branch can reopen, Doeblin said. He asked those that might be able to help raise money to do so to email him.

"It is difficult to express the frustration and helplessness now, having come so far back from the brink — all the way to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "It is horrible to imagine all our efforts, and money, will be lost, so close to viability."