Pasadena's Vroman's Bookstore has a new owner for the first time in more than a century.

The 132-year-old independent bookstore at 695 E. Colorado Blvd. and its sister store, Book Soup in West Hollywood, have been sold to Robert Hoffman and his family, the stores announced Thursday, Sept. 24. The sale ends more than 100 years of Sheldon family ownership and caps a search that began when longtime owner Joel Sheldon announced plans to retire in early 2024.

Hoffman grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and has been shopping at Vroman's since he was 5 years old. He is a fourth-generation Vroman's customer. His family's connection to the store stretches back more than 115 years to his great-grandmother, Georgia Bullock, identified by the stores as California's first woman municipal and superior court judge.

"My family's story is woven into these stores across five generations, and my family and I are committed to making sure they're here for many more," Hoffman said in the announcement.

Hoffman spent 38 years in public policy in Washington, D.C., according to LAist. He remained a Vroman's customer while visiting family in Southern California.

Sheldon, who led Vroman's for more than 50 years, said he chose the Hoffman family after several conversations. The Sheldon family had owned the bookstore since the 1920s. In 2009, they also acquired Book Soup after the death of its previous owner threatened the Sunset Strip store's future.

The bookstore said locations, staff, programming and curation will all stay the same under the new ownership. Operations will continue as usual while Hoffman settles in. The store plans to announce opportunities for customers and community members to meet Hoffman in the coming months.

The business sale follows a separate property transaction in October 2025, when Sheldon sold the flagship building, its atrium and parking lot to Beverly Hills-based GD Realty for $15.6 million, according to the Pasadena Star-News. Sheldon then signed a long-term lease to keep the bookstore in place. GD Realty founder Arash Danialifar owns several buildings in the Playhouse Village district, including the site next door that houses the Landmark Theatre.

Vroman's CEO Julia Cowlishaw said the store took its time finding the right buyer. She credited community support for keeping the bookstore alive through the pandemic, when government funding and loyal customers shopping online helped the store survive.

Founded in 1894, Vroman's calls itself Southern California's oldest and largest independent bookstore. It hosts more than 400 free events each year, including author signings and book launches. Book Soup has operated on Sunset Boulevard for 51 years.

Financial terms of the business sale were not disclosed. The store has not yet set dates for public meet-and-greet events with Hoffman.