A fireplace, a chess station, and a carefully curated selection of books ranging from fantasy fiction to romance — welcome to Fireside Books.
Fireside Books is a new bookstore that recently opened in downtown Redwood City. Founded by Andrew Johnson and Taylor Kubota, the store is an homage to a bookstore by the same name in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, which Johnson frequented as a child. Located at 2421 Broadway, the bookstore has brought people from all walks of life to enjoy its selection of classics, romance novels, nature books, and more.
Kubota and Johnson envision their bookstore as a place where local residents can spend time, hang out with a book (or two), review recommendations from other book lovers, and meet new people. Redwood City itself was a significant part of their inspiration.
“Taylor and I moved here in 2019, and even before then, this was our favorite place to go see a movie or have dinner. As we watched this city grow, we thought, ‘Boy, it would be cool if there were an independent bookstore here in town.’ And that eventually became, ‘What if we got to be that indie bookstore?’” Johnson said.
Fireside Books and More is part of the resurgent trend of new independent bookstores opening across the country. According to the American Booksellers Association’s 2023 Annual Report, 291 bookstore businesses opened in 2023, with another 192 bookstores planning to open within the next one to two years.
Amanda Anthony, the economic development manager for the city of Redwood City, shares her excitement about this new addition to downtown.
“I’m a reader, and I’m thrilled to have an independent bookstore downtown. First of all, we generally need more creative retail that allows people to linger and enjoy being downtown. But the fact that it’s a bookstore is great — it’s cozy, welcoming, and special. It’s going to add so much to the fabric of the city — it already has,” Anthony said.
Johnson is pleased with the excitement the bookstore has received in just a couple of months since its opening.
“The response so far has been incredible. So many people walk in with a big smile on their faces. We’ve had people run or skip in the door. I think there is a big hunger for places like this right now, maybe even more so than we thought. Its filled with places where people can exhale, sit in a comfy chair, and just relax for a minute,” Johnson said.
Divya Rajasekharan, a customer at Fireside Books, says that she loves the community feeling in the store and the fact that there are little kids running around.
“For me, this is a great way of coming in, browsing, and seeing what’s new and what could be a potential new read. What I love about indie bookstores like Fireside Books is that there is a curation aspect to it, and there is something about shared community interest that is then cultivated. This can be seen with the books that are propped up, and you’ll also see a lot of recommendations,” Rajasekharan said.
Maxine Beeman, another customer at Fireside Books, enjoyed her experience browsing and eventually buying a book.
“I like the table of recommendations at the front of the bookstore. Also, it is really interesting how they have featured local writers and their recommendations,” Beeman said.
Johnson says that other indie bookstores on the Peninsula have been encouraging them as they got started.
“We really couldn’t have done this if they hadn’t been so gracious with their wisdom and expertise. We’ve had visitors from basically every store in the area come by and give us encouragement. We really hope that people continue to love and visit places like Kepler’s, Reading Bug, or Peninsula Books,” Johnson said.
Johnson says that they have enjoyed running the store so far.
“Taylor and I are working very hard. We know no one owes us a local indie bookstore here in 2025, and we have to do the work. It’s a lot of hours, and there are a lot of things we still have to learn, but it’s good work and we’re happy to do it,” Johnson said.
Anthony, like Johnson. is enthusiastic about the future of Redwood City.
“I hope that the bookstore will kickstart a little retail revolution downtown, and we’ll start to see some other creative stores open up, too,” Anthony said.
