Denver’s Tattered Cover Bookstore Has Been Sold to Barnes and Noble

Tattered Cover bookstore first opened in 1971 in Denver, Colorado. Since then, it’s undergone a lot of change, including new owners and storefronts — by 2022, it had grown to eight locations, including storefronts with a full bar and cafe. They sell new and used books and host hundreds of author and community events a year. Now, it’s going through the most dramatic change yet: it will no longer be an independent bookstore. Last year, the store filed for bankruptcy and had to close all but four of its stores, and now it has accepted Barnes and Noble’s offer of $1.83 million.

Barnes and Noble wasn’t the only offer on the business: there were nine interested parties, including two board members from Bended Page (Tattered Cover’s parent company) and a former Tattered Cover CEO. A spokesperson from Tattered Cover said that Barnes and Noble’s offer was the only one that would keep all four stores open.