The Bookworm, which is located at 93 E. Daily Dr. in Camarillo, Calif., has been put up for sale. The Moorpark Acorn reported that the shop, which was originally called Mrs. Figs' Bookworm before current owner Julie Brown purchased it in 2019, is on the verge of closing unless a buyer can be found.
"I've had this store five years, and I've loved every minute of owning it, but owning a small business is all-inclusive," said Brown. "My husband and I haven't been on vacation in five years.... We're going to retire and, hopefully, travel. It just feels like it's time to do something else."
She recalled the steep learning curve she faced when she bought the store: "I'm a book person, not a business person. I had to learn by doing, but the former owner Connie Halpern was amazing." Halpern stayed on for months after the sale to help the new owner find her way.
Thanks to her predecessors, Brown said she took over a business that offers everything a bookworm could want: "It's definitely a pillar of the community. It's so well-loved, everyone that comes in and sees we're selling is saddened. So I would love to have somebody pick up the torch and carry it on."
She noted that the best days at the shop are when strangers leave as friends: "It happens more than you think, the customers connect with each other."
Although her goal is to find a buyer, if none come forward, the final day of business will be July 31. For more information, contact the Bookworm at 805-482-1384 or by e-mail at Camarillobookworm@gmail.com