DIESEL, a Bookstore to Open in Brentwood

June 04, 2008

John Evans and Alison Reid of DIESEL, a Bookstore, in Oakland and Malibu, will be opening a third location in Brentwood, California. The store, approximately 1,500 square feet, will be in Brentwood Country Mart, a high-end shopping center built in 1948. It is slated to open in September.

Still under construction, the new DIESEL will be white and square as opposed to the long and narrow multi-colored configurations of the Malibu and Oakland stores. Its overall aesthetic will be a work in progress, reflecting its neighborhood. "It's not like we have a module that we'll put into place," said Evans. "Our stores aren't the John and Alison stores. They are DIESEL, fine, quality, independent bookstores that are highly responsive to those who work in them and to the community."

The Country Mart resembles a "bunch of barn-like structures," has a "friendly, family feel," and has been a Brentwood institution for decades, said Evans. The more than two-dozen businesses range from independent to national and include many boutiques, a high-end T-shirt shop, a chocolate shop, a cobbler, and several restaurants. DIESEL will be located next to City Bakery.

The developer invited Evans and Reid to open a bookstore at the Country Mart because he sought to preserve the look and feel of its early days, when it had a small, independent bookstore. "He wanted to replicate the businesses that were there when he was a child, but with contemporary, updated, and sophisticated versions," explained Evans.

The developer had approached Evan and Reid about a year and a half ago. At the time, they wouldn't consider it because of the location's proximity to Dutton's Brentwood Books. "We could see that a little bookstore could be successful there," said Reid. "But it was five minutes away from Dutton's, and we didn't want to be predatory. We told him that people do that to us, and that we couldn't do that to others."

The developer returned to Reid and Evans after Dutton's announced its closing. At that point, DIESEL's owners decided to check in with Doug Dutton. "John called Doug just to see that he wasn't planning on doing anything else," said Reid. "It was a tough time, because they were closing, but Doug was so gracious."

After their decision to open in Brentwood, Reid and Evans often heard from Brentwood customers about how much they missed Dutton's, but they weren't ready to release the information. "I just agreed with them that it was a great loss," said Reid. "But I didn't want to announce we'd be opening yet. I thought Dutton's closing should have the dignity it deserved. And we're just a small bookstore, not the cultural institution that Dutton's was."

Both Evans and Reid are excited about bringing an independent bookstore to a community that will value it. Evans said, "The Brentwood community supported [Dutton's] for a long time. It's closed now, and that's awful. They still want to get their books, so why not open a bookstore in a place where people really would want it?"

Evans addressed the arguably daunting prospect of opening another location during a possible recession. "People in publishing might think we're crazy, but they're looking at it in a way we aren't," he said. "People come in our stores every day and are really, really excited about books. They even bring us baked goods. There's a customer in Malibu who places an order every two weeks and brings us a big batch of baked goods. That's what happens when you're a community bookstore. Publishers don't have a street-level relationship, so they don't necessarily see it."

Evan continued, "I see a lot of critiquing, rather than doing, especially on the left. If everyone thought about how difficult it was to do something before they did it, nothing would get done. That's not something I have an interest in. People also told us, in 1989, that it was a terrible time to open a bookstore, but we did it. Less critiquing and more joy, that's what I say."

Reid's enthusiasm was just as palpable. "I love shiny new things," she said. "I love the thought having a shiny new store and enjoying that one moment when everything is in order, when the computer system is still working. That's a thrill for me. There's something awfully exciting about it." --Karen Schechner

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