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I Run This: The “dog-friendliest bookstore in the world” gets holiday-ready

Name: Mackenzie Van Engelenhoven 

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Manager of Chevalier’s Books, L.A.’s oldest independent bookstore.

What’s the holiday season like for the store compared to other times of the year?

The holidays are our most important season and also the most stressful and difficult. Most bookstores make about a third of their income for the year during the holidays. We're constantly checking our inventory. We're always keeping track of what we have, what we need. We have authors coming in to sign [books]. We have events. We have special orders. People are ordering things for their families. We have shipping going out. So it's everything we usually have going on, dialed up to a thousand.

I think the holidays in the bookstore are so fun. I love that people are buying tons of books. I love it when they come up to me and say, ‘I'm shopping for my aunt who loves mysteries,’ and I can hand them my five favorite mystery books. I’ll ask if they want any information about them, and they say, ‘Nope. I just know she likes mysteries’. I love that people just trust you.

Describe yourself in three words…


One of my employees recently told me I have a lot of moxie. I'd say I’m very passionate about what I do. I'm passionate about storytelling and books and the written word and literacy. And stubborn, but the “won't back down” kind of stubbornness. I’m determined to see things through.

What unique perspectives do you bring to the small business economy?


I've been a bookseller for 10 years and have worked in three states. I also write novels. I've written 10 books over the past 10 years‌.


As a bookseller and  manager, I'm empathetic to understanding the needs of authors in the area. I can understand what authors need and what stores need. 

Independent bookstores can give you a personal relationship with local authors or authors on tour. You can meet your favorite author in an indie bookstore.

Online retailers can't do this. 


As both an author and a bookstore manager, I know how important those relationships are. I also know how authors and booksellers can work together to create and maximize that value to bring more people into the store.

Photos of dogs sitting inside Chevalier's Books bookstore

What's the biggest lesson you've learned managing Chevalier’s Books?

You can't do it alone, and you have to really rely on and trust the people around you. People you’re able to delegate things to, and people you enjoy being with every day. It’s great when you know they share the same vision as you and can be trusted to execute it. You don't want [to hire] people that you'll have to sit and watch them do things to make sure they get done. 

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What are some of your proudest moments as a business manager?


We've lost a lot of our community gathering spaces since Covid, and I think people are really looking for places to gather physically. We've tried to make Chevalier’s a place where people can come together that doesn't even involve sitting with an author. We do trivia nights. We do nights where you can come work on your writing in the store. There's quiet music, and you don't have to worry about coffee or a bar. You can just come and work. We now offer a philosophy book club and a romance book club. Just doing things like that, bringing people together, and making the bookstore community space again has been really rewarding.

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You can't do it alone, and you have to really rely on and trust the people around you. People you’re able to delegate things to, and people you enjoy being with every day.

What are some of the hurdles or roadblocks you’ve faced?


Print media is a tough business to be in right now. L.A. is an expensive town to do business in. We have a high cost of overhead. The challenges of being a physical brick-and-mortar bookstore in the age of the internet, [when] so many people buy their books online. And in the age of television and the internet and all the things you can read on your phone instead of reading a book, it's tough out here.

Anything else you’re proud of?


Fostering relationships with local community dogs. Larchmont is a very dog-friendly community. And so we decided, because we're a staff of dog lovers, to make the most of that. We take Polaroids of all the dogs that come into the store and hang them on the wall. One of our booksellers illustrated some of our favorite regular dogs, and we‌ put it on a tote bag! It became one of the hottest merchandise items on Larchmont and a hotly debated item—whose dog made it on the tote and whose didn't. 


The community dogs are a real entry point into talking to people, getting people in the store, and fostering relationships and store loyalty. It started‌ as a joke that we're going to become the dog-friendliest bookstore in the world, and now it's become a part of who we are in such a great way.

When you're having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going?

I mean, all the dogs of Chevalier! Honestly, I love our regular customers. The regular customers are the best part of the job. People who come into the store and are excited to talk to you about the last book they read, the last book you recommended to them. They want to ask you about your taste and your recommendations. People who come in and just want to say hello or talk to you about what's happening. They care about the store and are invested in it like we are as a place for community, as a place to bring their kids. The people who I can really sense their love of the store as a place in their community, those are the people that really keep me going.

Where can readers find one of your books?


The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is probably the best known.  


Follow Chevalier’s books @chevaliersbooks on IG and on their website.

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Jennie Josephson
Jennie Josephson
Jennie Josephson writes stories and produces live events that contribute to the global conversation about small business. She is also a small business owner who lives in Los Angeles, CA.

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