Bel Canto Books had a soft opening on March 21 of its first standalone bookshop, at 2106 E. Fourth St. in Long Beach, Calif., the Hi-Lo reported. The store had been one of the vendors that operated within the Hangout collective, which closed at the end of the year, but owner Jhoanna Belfer "has returned for a new chapter on Retro Row, and this time, with its own brick-and-mortar," highlighting books by writers of color and other historically marginalized communities.
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| Jhoanna Belfer outside the new Bel Canto Books. | |
"Being able to open our own brick-and-mortar store on Long Beach's iconic Retro Row is amazing," said Belfer, who had announced earlier she would take over the former Relics film lab, just a few doors down from the Hangout. "We're so thrilled to be part of the bookstore renaissance on 4th Street, joining fellow indies Page Against the Machine, Casita Books and Kitchen Lingo Books."
A grand opening celebration is set for Independent Bookstore Day on April 27. Giveaways, local vendors, pop-up vendors and more will be part of the big celebration. A crowdfunding page has been created to help build the new space.
"We can't wait to welcome the community into our new home, with dedicated spaces for children's books, fiction and narrative nonfiction, and all the stationery goodies a book nerd could want," Belfer said.
Bel Canto also plans to maintain bookstore locations inside Steel Cup and KUBO LB, a collaborative collective workspace.