{"id":24002,"date":"2025-07-20T15:03:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T15:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/24002\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T15:03:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T15:03:14","slug":"christophers-books-is-more-than-a-bookstore-to-potrero-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/24002\/","title":{"rendered":"Christopher’s Books is more than a bookstore to Potrero Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Jackson Tejada was growing up in Potrero Hill, he frequented Christopher\u2019s Books<\/a> with his parents. Today, as an employee and designated heir of Christopher\u2019s, Jackson, 28, can take a peek at the store\u2019s decades-old sales records for a glimpse into his own literary history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI can look into my parents\u2019 account,\u201d he said recently, leaning on a wooden bookshelf, \u201cand see like, yep, I loved that book when I was little.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AJackson Tejada stands inside of Christopher\u2019s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.<\/p>\n

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That sense of continuity is a hallmark of Christopher\u2019s and its owner, Tee Minot, who has owned the store at 1400 18th St. since 1991. Minot\u2019s original vision was to create a small, community-based independent bookstore, serving the youth of the neighborhood by offering a wide variety of children\u2019s books.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Jackson since before he was born,\u201d said Minot. \u201cHis dad was the pediatrician for both of my kids.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Knowing her customer base has been crucial for her business. \u201cYou knew the couple who was pregnant before anyone else,\u201d said Minot, \u201cYou knew someone\u2019s mother had cancer because you sold them a book on how to fight cancer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are there when a young child is reading for the first time,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd you can hear them reading back in the kids corner. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d The children\u2019s section at the store is located in a cozy nook with a hanging light in the back of the store.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have your work life, and your family life,\u201d said Minot. \u201cChristopher\u2019s is like your third place to find connection with people.\u201d She said Christopher\u2019s is a safe place where anyone can come, spend time and find community.<\/p>\n

\"Children'sThe children\u2019s section at Christopher\u2019s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.<\/p>\n

\"StreetChristopher\u2019s Books at 1400 18th St. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.<\/p>\n

Connecting with the community is good business, too. A wooden bench in front of the store invites patrons of nearby Chez Maman East<\/a> or Plow<\/a> to enjoy a book before their name gets called to be seated.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s legacy business <\/a>registry last year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

To that end, she is mentoring Tejada to take over \u2014 eventually.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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. \u201cI was faced with the decision of living in a small apartment [in New York],\u201d he said, \u201cversus living in the house I grew up in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019d like to be the next owner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018whoa, fuck yeah,\u2019\u201d he recalled with a smile, \u201cI would like to do that.\u201d For the last five years, Tejada has worked closely with Minot running Christopher\u2019s Books.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do curation, book buying, management,\u201d said Tejada, \u201ceverything from sweeping and cleaning the windows to curating the store.\u201d<\/p>\n

In naming an employee to take over the business, Christopher\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Although no one keeps track of the trend locally, there are other examples across the city; Ambiance<\/a> in the Sunset neighborhood passed on ownership to a former employee.<\/p>\n

Keith Goldstein, the president of the Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association<\/a>, said that he transferred ownership to two of his employees in 2016 with Everest Waterproofing & Restoration<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was always set on seeing the legacy continue, with my dedicated workforce holding on to their jobs,\u201d Goldstein said. The Good Life Grocery<\/a> in Potrero Hill and Bernal Heights, and Center Hardware<\/a> in Dogpatch, have also passed on their businesses to employees and family locally, Goldstein said.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u00a0intends to adhere to the same ethos that Minot has followed for the last 34 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a lot of knowledge accumulated from running this bookstore in this particular location,\u201d he said. \u201cThat comes with ties to the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s kind of already taken ownership of the store, but he has me as a mentor,\u201d said Minot.<\/p>\n

Minot and Tejada both said the store is meant to be a safe place for the community to gather.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important aspect of the bookstore is sharing my love of literature,\u201d he said, \u201cand my love of reading with the community.\u201d <\/p>\n

His most recent recommendation is \u201cI Gave You Eyes and You Looked Towards Darkness,\u201d by Irene Sol\u00e0, a Spanish novel<\/a> based on a Catalonian tale of a botched pact with the devil.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s curation.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople come to Christopher\u2019s for a little off-the-beaten-path recommendation,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re precious with what actually makes it onto our shelves, because of the limited shelf space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The literature section suggests a variety of choices, with titles ranging from\u00a0 \u201cWorth Fighting For\u201d by Jesse Q. Sutanto, part of the young adult series, to \u201cBackhanded Compliments,\u201d a lesbian rom-com by Katie Chandler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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<\/a>, and the next will be held at Goat Hill Pizza<\/a> to accommodate more people. They\u2019re reading titles such as \u201cThe Dream Hotel\u201d by Laila Lalami, a literary sci-fi novel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no waitlist, and everyone is welcome to come,\u201d said Tejada. More information on the book club is available through their monthly newsletter.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re offering connection, human connection,\u201d said Minot, \u201cwhich often can be really hard to find in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AChristopher\u2019s Books legacy business certificate. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.<\/p>\n

\"BookshelvesBook isle inside of Christopher\u2019s Books. Photo by Jose A. Velazquez.<\/p>\n

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