Aardvark Books Closing After 39 Years, Building Up For Sale

Aardvark Books, the bookstore near San Francisco’s Castro District, is expected to close after 39 years of business.

Employees Monday confirmed reports that the building that houses Aardvark is up for sale for $2.85 million, and is advertised to be “delivered vacant,” meaning the bookstore is being forced out.

Aardvark Books manager David Lugn said that the store, which sells both new and used books, will stay open through January of 2018. After it closes, Dog Eared Books will be the remaining bookstore in the area, as Books Inc. on Market St. closed last year.

“Now Aardvark is closing. Slowly, San Francisco is shredding its reputation as a literary city,” Timothy Faust wrote on Twitter.

Opened in 1978, the independently owned store sells a wide range of publications, from magazines to comic books. It’s also known for housing an orange tabby cat named Owen, who will need to find a home when the store closes.

“Everyone seems to want the cat, so the cat will be fine,” Lugn said. “Yet no one is looking for homes for the employees.”

Lugn said the employees have known about the possibility of the store closing “for a while,” but it was confirmed to them when they discovered the Redfin listing Friday. Since then, many customers have come into the store and lamented its upcoming loss.

“People who we don’t even know have been coming in and saying, ‘Oh no, this is my favorite place!'” Lugn said Monday evening. “But right now no one is in. Come on down before we close.”

Aardvark’s owner John Hadreas was not available for comment.