Kroch's and Brentano's

This article is about Chicago-based bookstore chain. For the unrelated New York-based bookstore chain acquired by Waldenbooks and later Borders, see Brentano's.

Kroch's and Brentano's

File:Kroch's and Brentano's Logo.svg
Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Predecessor	Template:Ublist
Founded	November 22, 1954 (1954-11-22) in Chicago
Founder	Carl Kroch
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	Chicago
Area served	Chicago metropolitan area
Products	Books, magazines

Kroch's and Brentano's stood as Chicago’s largest bookstore and was once recognized as the biggest privately held bookstore chain across the United States. This enterprise originated in 1954 through the consolidation of two separate entities: Kroch’s bookstore and the Chicago branch of the New York-based Brentano's. The chain ultimately ceased operations in 1995 following financial difficulties caused by mounting competition.

History

File:Photograph of Kroch's & Brentano's sign.png

Signage of Kroch's & Brentano's

Adolph Kroch, who emigrated from Austria to Chicago, established a German-language bookshop on Monroe Street in 1907. During World War I, he transitioned his inventory to English-language books. Several years later, he relocated the store to a more spacious venue at 22 N. Michigan Avenue. After occupying that site for fifteen years, Kroch’s International Book Shop moved again in 1927 to 206 N. Michigan Avenue. By the time this location closed in 1953, it had become Chicago’s largest bookstore.

In 1933, Kroch acquired the Chicago branch of Brentano’s, a New York-based bookstore with roots in Chicago dating back to 1884. To prevent Brentano’s from reestablishing itself in Chicago independently, Kroch retained the Brentano name and ran it as a separate business alongside his own store until his retirement.

When Adolph Kroch retired in 1947, he passed control of the company to his son Carl. In 1953, Carl announced plans to create what he called the "World’s Largest Bookstore" by merging Kroch’s and Brentano’s into a single operation. This involved expanding the space occupied by Brentano’s at 29 South Wabash Avenue to encompass 40,000 square feet for retail purposes. Situated in the basement was "Super Book Mart," a pioneering concept in Chicago specializing in paperbacks and affordable hardback reprints.

Kroch's and Brentano's gained a reputation for having the most extensive collection of art books in the region, complemented by highly knowledgeable staff members. One notable figure was Henry Tabor, who managed the art department and was considered an expert on art topics. The flagship location at 29 S. Wabash housed several specialized departments, including a mail order center overseen by Alice (Morimoto) Goda, who served as secretary to the vice-president; this department focused on sourcing rare and out-of-print titles globally. The store regularly displayed works by prominent painters and photographers on its walls and frequently hosted signings with distinguished authors.

At its height, Kroch’s operated 22 stores throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Despite facing pressure from discount chains like Crown Books, which opened a downtown location near Wabash Avenue, Kroch’s maintained its refusal to adopt discount pricing strategies, believing Crown’s lack of full-service offerings minimized the threat. Nonetheless, unable to sustain competition from discount retailers, Kroch’s and Brentano’s shuttered all locations in 1995. The store was known throughout its history for major author signings; its final significant event featured heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman promoting his autobiography By George, hosted by longtime manager Don Hailman. Hans Summers, an employee, assisted the last customer at the flagship Wabash store.

At age 72, Carl Kroch stepped down as president and CEO in 1986, transferring ownership of the chain to its approximately 700 employees. At that time, the company operated seventeen stores. Increasing competition from chains such as Crown Books, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and other discount outlets led to closure of all ten suburban mall locations by 1993, leaving seven stores within Chicago itself. Facing bankruptcy later that year, Carl Kroch repurchased the company before selling it to Businesship International shortly thereafter. Despite further closures under new ownership, efforts to revive the business were unsuccessful; bankruptcy was declared in June 1995 followed by liquidation. The remaining stores closed permanently on July 31, 1995.

The final chapter of Kroch’s and Brentano’s was marked by a decline from its former prominence. Its last day at 29 S. Wabash saw only a handful of employees discounting remaining stock as most of the store was shuttered. Longtime staff mourned both the loss of their pensions and their connection to what had been their professional family for decades.

Brentano's in Chicago

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the New York-based Brentano's operated a branch in Chicago. This location had been established several decades before Adolph Kroch launched his own bookstore.

In 1884, Arthur Brentano inaugurated the Chicago outlet of his family's New York bookstore at 101 State Street. By the year 1930, Brentano's had grown to become the largest bookstore chain in the United States, boasting ten stores—half of which were located outside New York City—as well as two affiliated stores in Europe. However, the rapid expansion preceding the Great Depression led to financial difficulties, and creditors primarily consisting of publishers and banks compelled the company to file for bankruptcy in March 1933. The creditors preferred a sale that would preserve the business as an ongoing enterprise rather than liquidate it, fearing that a liquidation would flood the market with discounted books, thereby damaging the broader bookselling industry.

At the bankruptcy auction, financier and future U.S. ambassador Stanton Griffis partnered with Adolf Kroch to submit a winning bid for the company. Their offer prevailed because it included an experienced bookstore owner, a factor that likely influenced creditors' decision-making.

As part of this transaction, Kroch acquired ownership of the Chicago branch along with exclusive rights to use and manage the Brentano's name within Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. He maintained Brentano's as a distinct subsidiary under his existing Kroch's bookstore operation until 1954, when both stores merged to create Kroch's and Brentano's. The newly combined store, which opened that year, became Chicago’s largest bookstore at 40,000 square feet.

Kroch successfully prevented competitors such as MacMillan, Waldenbooks, and Borders from using the Brentano's brand within the Chicago market.

See also

• Bookselling
• List of bookstore chains