We are very happy to announce that Old Capitol Books is under new ownership; it has recently been purchased by its employees, Ali Elfaki and Stephanie Spoto.
Earlier this year, when the owner Matthew Sundt announced to his staff that he wanted to sell, Stephanie and Ali knew that they had to do what they could to keep the bookstore open. To them, this bookstore represents something much more than a mere job - it is a real passion. The official transfer of ownership will be on August 1, 2017, and they're celebrating with a massive 50% off sale!
Ali Elfaki is a Sudanese immigrant who grew up here on the peninsula and has been working at Old Capitol Books since 2014. He's looking forward to helping the bookstore grow and develop into a literary and artistic fixture in the community. Stephanie Spoto has worked at Old Capitol Books since its opening in 2012 and she is very excited to be a key part of its next chapter. With the help of their families, bookstore staff, and friends, they were able to pool enough money to make the purchase of the business.
Stephanie and Ali bonded over their love of books and literature, and many of their early days together were spent right here in the bookstore, so starting this next chapter of their lives together with Old Capitol Books is more than they could have ever hoped for.
Purchasing Old Capitol Books is happening at a bitter-sweet time. They know that Logos Books in Santa Cruz is closing its doors; they've spent many hours among Logos's towering book stacks, and knowing that it is in its final days is very sad. They know that they can never replace Logos Books, but they will do their best to hold down an awesome book store for all you book lovers on the central coast.
