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When Jackson Tejada was growing up in Potrero Hill, he frequented Christopher’s Books with his parents. Today, as an employee and designated heir of Christopher’s, Jackson, 28, can take a peek at the store’s decades-old sales records for a glimpse into his own literary history.
“I can look into my parents’ account,” he said recently, leaning on a wooden bookshelf, “and see like, yep, I loved that book when I was little.”
Jackson Tejada stands inside of Christopher’s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
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That sense of continuity is a hallmark of Christopher’s and its owner, Tee Minot, who has owned the store at 1400 18th St. since 1991. Minot’s original vision was to create a small, community-based independent bookstore, serving the youth of the neighborhood by offering a wide variety of children’s books.
“I’ve known Jackson since before he was born,” said Minot. “His dad was the pediatrician for both of my kids.”
Knowing her customer base has been crucial for her business. “You knew the couple who was pregnant before anyone else,” said Minot, “You knew someone’s mother had cancer because you sold them a book on how to fight cancer.”
“You are there when a young child is reading for the first time,” she continued. “And you can hear them reading back in the kids corner. It’s amazing.” The children’s section at the store is located in a cozy nook with a hanging light in the back of the store.
“You have your work life, and your family life,” said Minot. “Christopher’s is like your third place to find connection with people.” She said Christopher’s is a safe place where anyone can come, spend time and find community.
The children’s section at Christopher’s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
Christopher’s Books at 1400 18th St. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
Connecting with the community is good business, too. A wooden bench in front of the store invites patrons of nearby Chez Maman East or Plow to enjoy a book before their name gets called to be seated.
Originally, Minot came on as a business partner for founder Christopher Ellison. After Ellison moved to New Zealand, she became the sole proprietor of the store in 1996.
The business has turned into a gathering place for the Potrero Hill community, serving longtime customers and families and emphasizing human connection. The store was added to San Francisco’s legacy business registry last year.
Now Minot, at 60, is giving some thought to passing the torch. She said she wants new energy for the future of the bookstore, and has become fatigued by the everyday decision-making it takes to run a store.
To that end, she is mentoring Tejada to take over — eventually.
Five years ago, Tejada was working at a wine store in New York and teaching mindfulness at a summer camp. When the pandemic hit in 2020, he returned home to Potrero Hill. “I was faced with the decision of living in a small apartment [in New York],” he said, “versus living in the house I grew up in.”
When he returned, he asked Minot if he could work at the store during the pandemic. She agreed, and disclosed that she was actually thinking of passing on the store and asked if he’d like to be the next owner.
“I was like, ‘whoa, fuck yeah,’” he recalled with a smile, “I would like to do that.” For the last five years, Tejada has worked closely with Minot running Christopher’s Books.
“We do curation, book buying, management,” said Tejada, “everything from sweeping and cleaning the windows to curating the store.”
In naming an employee to take over the business, Christopher’s has plenty of predecessors: Small businesses in San Francisco often live on for years, thanks to a passing of the torch from owner to employees.
Although no one keeps track of the trend locally, there are other examples across the city; Ambiance in the Sunset neighborhood passed on ownership to a former employee.
Keith Goldstein, the president of the Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association, said that he transferred ownership to two of his employees in 2016 with Everest Waterproofing & Restoration.
“I was always set on seeing the legacy continue, with my dedicated workforce holding on to their jobs,” Goldstein said. The Good Life Grocery in Potrero Hill and Bernal Heights, and Center Hardware in Dogpatch, have also passed on their businesses to employees and family locally, Goldstein said.
Tejada said there is no concrete date for when he will officially take over the store; it will be a gradual transition, with Minot providing guidance.
He intends to adhere to the same ethos that Minot has followed for the last 34 years.
“She has a lot of knowledge accumulated from running this bookstore in this particular location,” he said. “That comes with ties to the community.”
“He’s kind of already taken ownership of the store, but he has me as a mentor,” said Minot.
Minot and Tejada both said the store is meant to be a safe place for the community to gather.
“The most important aspect of the bookstore is sharing my love of literature,” he said, “and my love of reading with the community.”
His most recent recommendation is “I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Towards Darkness,” by Irene Solà, a Spanish novel based on a Catalonian tale of a botched pact with the devil.
Tejada said the two main pillars that have kept the store in business, in spite of Amazon, are the Potrero Hill community and the store’s curation.
“People come to Christopher’s for a little off-the-beaten-path recommendation,” he said.
“We’re precious with what actually makes it onto our shelves, because of the limited shelf space.”
The literature section suggests a variety of choices, with titles ranging from “Worth Fighting For” by Jesse Q. Sutanto, part of the young adult series, to “Backhanded Compliments,” a lesbian rom-com by Katie Chandler.
In addition to working with schools to support literacy programs, the store partners with the Pritzker Psychiatry building to provide books for their youth wellness program.
Tejada started a book club two months ago, and has about 30 people on the email list. The first two meetings were held at Ruby Wine, and the next will be held at Goat Hill Pizza to accommodate more people. They’re reading titles such as “The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami, a literary sci-fi novel.
“There’s no waitlist, and everyone is welcome to come,” said Tejada. More information on the book club is available through their monthly newsletter.
“We’re offering connection, human connection,” said Minot, “which often can be really hard to find in the city.”
Christopher’s Books legacy business certificate. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
Book isle inside of Christopher’s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.
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