The Bold Italic’s 2020 Awards
This article is part of The Bold Italic’s 2020 Awards, which celebrate the Bay Area’s small businesses and local residents who have hustled and shown creativity throughout 2020. See all the award winners here.
Local bookstores have been some of the hardest-hit businesses of the pandemic. Here in San Francisco, the community has stepped up to help them through by ordering books locally instead of from Amazon and even contributing to GoFundMe campaigns to keep their doors open.
With so many incredible bookshops in the Bay, it seems impossible to choose the “best” one. But our readers have spoken, and Green Apple Books has won our Best Bookstore 2020 award.
This Bay Area institution has been a beloved staple in the Richmond District and San Francisco at large since 1967. The store boasts two floors and two buildings stacked to the brim with records, books, and much more. The legendary, late-night bookstore caters to clientele young and old and boasts over 250,000 titles — some of which get sold for a discounted price outside under its iconic Forest green awnings.
A piece of Bay Area history and culture, the people are thrilled that it’s thriving this year despite the ongoing hardships of 2020.
We caught up with owner Pete Mulvihill to ask him about his critical year at Green Apple Books and to congratulate him on this win! Read the interview below, along with the other nominees for Best Bookstore in San Francisco.
TBI: How have you managed to stay afloat this year?
Pete Mulvihill:
100 Band-aids, really. Mostly it was due to the direct financial support of our customers (online book orders and in-store purchases). But our staff adapted marvelously and bravely, and many various forms of support buoyed us and added up to our survival, from Dave Eggers offering a free drawing to anyone who ordered over $200 on our website to the artist who designed our “Stay Home, Read Books” shirts, which raised almost $30,000 this year. The PPP loan was key, too, so thanks to American taxpayers!
How are you holding up now, heading into another month of shelter in place?
We’re okay. We still need and appreciate every purchase, but since December is usually busy and we can still operate at 20% capacity, we’re gonna get through this year. There’s no way we can pack as many people into the store in the last few weeks of the year as we usually do, but our online orders are helping fill some of that hole. We can’t wait to pack people in again when it’s safe — nothing’s quite as magical as a buzzing, packed bookstore a few days before Christmas!
What are your hopes for 2021?
Recovery for all, from Covid, from Trump, from economic upheaval, from being stuck at home. We hope new shops and restaurants will spring up where our many beloved ones have closed. We hope fresh blood moves into SF with more affordable rents. We hope all these workers at home support their neighborhood businesses now that they’re not sitting on a Google bus. … So many hopes and so many good books coming to enrich our lives!
How can people help support your business?
Just like every indie business, we’re only here if enough people spend enough money here each month. That’s how we pay our staff, their health care, our rent. So every purchase from us, be that a book, an e-gift card, or a fiction subscription, is a vote for Green Apple to hold down Clement Street for another 53 years. Sending us a new customer, be that directly or via social media, is always a great help, too.
Nominees for Best Book Store in San Francisco
1. Dog Eared Books Castro
Nestled in the heart of the Castro, Dog Eared Books is committed to surviving 2020 with the help of its staff, neighbors, and supporters. “For 2021, we want to continue fulfilling our twin missions of being the Castro District’s general interest neighborhood bookstore and the city’s flagship LGBT+ bookstore,” they write. A great way to support them is by purchasing books or giving to their GoFundMe.
2. Alley Cat Bookstore & Gallery
Also owned by Dog Eared Books, Alley Cat is located deep in the Mission District and offers used Spanish and English titles. With its bright awning, eclectic book selection, and warm, inviting atmosphere, it’s easy to see why it’s a standout nominee.
3. Booksmith
Located in the historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, Booksmith hosted a nonprofit events program in addition to selling used titles. The bookstore, which is more of a hybrid community space, has been offering curbside pickup and “mystery boxes” to stay afloat.
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