Today we’d like to introduce you to John Evans.
Hi John, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My wife Alison Reid and I met in a bookstore in Berkeley. After five years we decided we wanted to open up the kind of bookstore that combines a great work environment, a great selection of books, and an engaged relationship with our readers and our communities. So we opened Diesel, A Bookstore in Emeryville in 1989. Since then we moved the original store to Oakland, opened additional stores in LA, Marin County, and San Diego and now have just two stores — one at the Brentwood Country Mart in LA, and one at Del Mar Highlands Town Center in San Diego.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For most people, life is not a smooth road, nor is running an independent business. Macro and micro forces can change the course of the best-planned and executed business. Earthquakes, fires, wars, floods, plagues as well as massive shifts in the book business, real estate prices, and all the vulnerabilities of street retail have challenged our perseverance and persistence in keeping the stores opened, our booksellers employed, and our readers happy.
Fortunately, our customers have valued what we do and shown it by supporting us through thick and thin. We’re grateful for their support.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think we are known for consistently fair and nurturing workplaces; well-trained, informed, and helpful booksellers; and attractive bookstores filled with a surprising depth, diversity, and range of titles. We are very good at it & book lovers appreciate it!
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We are exceptionally welcoming because we mean it: we love books and love sharing the rich worlds, real and imagined, that are found and made there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dieselbookstore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dieselbookstore
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dieselbrentwood/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DIESELBookstore
Image Credits
Antoine Wilson
