Noe Valley Books opened last Thursday at 3957 24th St. in San Francisco, Calif., the same location where Folio Books closed earlier this year following the retirement of two longtime co-owners. Katerina Argyres, a third former Folio Books owner, is launching the new bookstore with help from former staff members Andrew McIntyre, Isaiah Scandrette, and Kit Fitzgerald.
"Noe Valley Books is open for business!!" the store posted on Instagram. "Thank you from the bottom of our book-loving hearts for helping us get to the finish line. We hit our fundraising goal only a week ago, which made it possible for us to fix up the store, get fixtures, support our staff, and (of course) fill the store with as many books as possible. Just in time for the holidays!"
The new bookshop has been supported by a crowdfunding campaign that enlisted more than 700 donors and raised more than $150,000. The San Francisco Standard reported that "even by Argyres' admission, the sum was ambitious."
"I got the advice that if you start a little too high, people will get, like, intimidated," she said. "But I need the neighborhood to know what I need."
The Standard noted that at one point during last Thursday's opening, Noe Valley Books "contained as many dogs as people. This appeared to be almost by design."
"The bookstore is just a front to get dogs in here," Argyres joked. "It's all I want."