The Pop-Hop in Los Angeles, Calif., has reopened under new ownership, Bookselling This Week reported. Rosario Calatayud-Serna, Jonathan Hinton, Kenzo Martinez and Adriana Yugovich purchased the Pop-Hop earlier this year, after the store's previous owner put it up for sale due to the pandemic.
The store officially reopened on July 24. The new owners have joined the ABA, opened a Bookshop.org account and plan to "transform the bookstore's role in the community." While selling books will remain a major focus of the store, Calatayud-Serna told BTW, the new owners also want to create "a community arts and education/activism space," which was the primary draw of buying the store. They may also shift to a nonprofit status at some point.
Calatayud-Serna reported that customers have been happy to see the store reopen, but the new owners are still facing challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic. The biggest struggle has been replenishing their new book inventory before the holidays, though they have replenished their used stock. All of the store's workers, she noted, are volunteers.
"The community has been welcoming and supportive," said Calatayud-Serna. "Our group is enthusiastic, helpful and supportive of one another, which has also been a blessing."