Brentano's
Defunct American bookstore chain and publisher founded in New York City in 1853.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Brentano's was an American bookseller and publisher whose history began with a New York City newsstand in 1853. Founded by August Brentano in front of the New York Hotel, the business developed into one of the United States' most prominent bookstore chains, combining retail bookselling with the sale of newspapers, magazines, and related reading materials. Its identity was closely associated with large, prestigious urban stores and with service to readers seeking American and European literature. The company expanded beyond New York during the late nineteenth century. It opened a Washington, D.C., branch in 1883 and a Chicago branch in 1884. By the late 1920s, the Brentano family business had stores or related operations in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, London, and Paris. The chain's international presence was not entirely unified corporately: the London and Paris operations were family-owned affiliates rather than assets of the same American corporation that later entered bankruptcy. The Paris store, opened on the Avenue de l'Opéra in 1887, became particularly associated with American expatriates and with the distribution of American books and newspapers in Europe. Rapid expansion before the Great Depression made Brentano's one of the largest bookstore chains in the country, but it also left the company heavily indebted. Creditors imposed a reorganization in 1930, and continuing liquidity problems led to bankruptcy in March 1933. Financier Stanton Griffis and Chicago bookseller Adolf Kroch acquired the business at the bankruptcy sale. The transaction divided control of the name geographically: Kroch received the Chicago store and exclusive rights to use the Brentano's name in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin, while the principal American chain continued under Griffis and the Brentano family. This arrangement later contributed to the separate development of Kroch's and Brentano's in the Midwest. Brentano's continued operating under family and corporate ownership through the mid-twentieth century. Crowell Collier acquired the business in 1962, and its later merger-related corporate ownership placed the chain within Macmillan. During this period, Brentano's expanded into additional metropolitan and suburban markets, including Southern California, where it opened a Beverly Hills store in 1972. In 1975, it opened its first and only Canadian store, in Toronto. By 1981, Macmillan sold the retail chain to a group of senior Brentano's employees in a management buyout. The new ownership could not stabilize the business, however, and Brentano's filed for bankruptcy again in 1982 before liquidating in 1984. Waldenbooks, then a Kmart subsidiary, acquired three stores during the liquidation process: locations in Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, and St. Louis. The stores were initially intended for conversion to the Waldenbooks format, but their performance in upscale neighborhoods led the company to retain the Brentano's name and use it as a more premium bookstore concept. Brentano's subsequently operated within the Waldenbooks division and later under Borders. The brand survived for several decades in a reduced store network, but competition from bookstore superstores and online retailers contributed to continuing closures. After Borders Group filed for bankruptcy on July 18, 2011, all remaining Brentano's stores were closed. In addition to retailing, Brentano's operated a publishing department from its Fifth Avenue headquarters. The imprint Éditions Brentano's specialized in French literature and published works by French writers in exile during the Vichy period. The publishing operation was sold to Coward-McCann in 1933 as part of efforts to avoid liquidation. Brentano's therefore occupies a distinctive place in American bookselling history: it was simultaneously a family-founded literary retailer, an international distributor of reading material, a publisher, and eventually an upscale legacy format maintained by larger retail groups.
History
August Brentano founded Brentano's in New York City in 1853 by operating a newsstand in front of the New York Hotel. The enterprise grew from a news and periodical outlet into a major bookseller. Its first branch opened in Washington, D.C., in 1883, followed by a Chicago branch in 1884. Under the Brentano family, the business developed a reputation for broad literary selection and for serving readers interested in both American and European publications. The company expanded internationally during the late nineteenth century. A Paris store on the Avenue de l'Opéra opened in 1887, and a London store followed in 1889. These European businesses were associated with the Brentano family but were separate from the American corporation that later underwent bankruptcy. The Paris location served American expatriates and helped circulate American newspapers and books by American authors in Europe. It also reprinted and distributed selected works for European readers. The Paris operation closed during the German occupation of France but reopened soon after the Liberation of Paris. It ultimately closed in 2009 and was reopened under new ownership in 2010. Simon Brentano served as company president until his death in 1915, after which his brother Arthur led the firm. By 1928, Brentano's had four stores outside New York City, including locations or operations in Washington, Chicago, London, and Paris. The company expanded aggressively on the eve of the Great Depression and became one of the largest bookstore chains in the United States, with stores in New York and additional locations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington. The expansion created substantial debt. Creditors forced a reorganization in 1930, but the plan failed to resolve the chain's liquidity problems. Brentano's opened a Pittsburgh store that year, even as its financial position deteriorated. In March 1933, publisher and banking creditors compelled Brentano's to file for bankruptcy. Stanton Griffis and Chicago bookseller Adolf Kroch purchased the firm at the bankruptcy sale. Griffis became chairman while Arthur Brentano remained president. Kroch received the Chicago branch and exclusive rights to use the Brentano's name in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. He operated the Chicago business separately within his Kroch's bookstore interests; in 1954, the Chicago stores were combined as Kroch's and Brentano's. This regional arrangement limited the ability of later owners of the main chain to use the Brentano's name in the Chicago market. Arthur Brentano died in 1944 and was succeeded as president by his son, Arthur Brentano Jr. In 1949, Nixon Griffis, son of Stanton Griffis, became president. Crowell Collier acquired Brentano's in 1962, although the corporate lineage also reflected Macmillan's acquisition of Crowell Collier and its ownership of the chain. At the time of the Crowell Collier acquisition, Brentano's had 16 stores across five states and the District of Columbia. The chain continued to expand, opening a Beverly Hills store in 1972 and a Toronto store in 1975. By 1981, its network had included stores in markets such as Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, and Southern California. Macmillan sold the retail chain to a group of senior Brentano's employees in 1981. The new ownership soon encountered financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy in 1982. Liquidation followed in 1984. Waldenbooks, a Kmart subsidiary, acquired three stores in Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, and St. Louis. Although Waldenbooks initially intended to convert them to its own format, the stores generated stronger results than comparable Waldenbooks locations. The company therefore retained the Brentano's name and used it as an upscale bookstore brand aimed at affluent neighborhoods. Kmart acquired Borders in 1992, while Brentano's remained within the separate Waldenbooks division. After the creation of the Borders-Walden Group and its 1994 separation as Borders Group, Brentano's stores continued to be managed by Waldenbooks. Structural changes in the bookselling market, including the growth of large-format bookstore chains and internet retailing, increased pressure on the smaller premium network. Borders closed money-losing Brentano's and Waldenbooks locations over the 1990s and 2000s. Borders Group filed for bankruptcy on July 18, 2011, and all remaining Brentano's stores were closed. Brentano's also had a publishing role. From its headquarters at 586 Fifth Avenue, the company published French literature under the Éditions Brentano's imprint, including works by French writers in exile during the Vichy France period. The publishing department was sold to Coward-McCann in 1933 during the bankruptcy crisis. The combination of retail bookselling, publishing, and international distribution made Brentano's a notable historical link between American bookstore culture and transatlantic literary commerce.
- 2011
Final stores close
[1]Borders Group's bankruptcy results in the closure of all remaining Brentano's stores.
- 1984
Waldenbooks preserves the brand
[1]Waldenbooks acquires three stores and retains the Brentano's name as an upscale format.
- 1982
Second modern bankruptcy
[1]The management-owned chain files for bankruptcy less than a year after the buyout.
- 1981
Macmillan sells the chain to management
[1]A group of senior Brentano's employees acquires the retail chain.
- 1975
Toronto store opens
[1]The company opens its first and only Canadian location.
- 1972
Beverly Hills store opens
[1]Brentano's enters the Southern California market with a store in Beverly Hills.
- 1962
Crowell Collier acquires Brentano's
[1]Corporate ownership changes as Crowell Collier purchases the chain.
- 1933
Bankruptcy and sale of publishing division
[1]Brentano's enters bankruptcy; Stanton Griffis and Adolf Kroch acquire the firm, while the publishing department is sold to Coward-McCann.
- 1930
Creditors impose a reorganization
[1]Heavy expansion debt leads creditors to reorganize the company.
- 1889
London store opens
[1]Brentano's establishes a London operation.
Products and positioning
A literary, metropolitan bookstore brand with roots in independent bookselling, international circulation of American and European literature, and premium stores in affluent urban and suburban locations.
Bookselling · 1853
Books
Books were Brentano's core retail offering. The chain operated substantial urban and suburban stores carrying general-interest titles, literary works, American writing, and European literature. Its locations were positioned as destination bookstores rather than merely newsstands, particularly after the brand was revived by Waldenbooks as an upscale format.
Periodicals · 1853
Newspapers and magazines
The business originated as a newsstand and retained a connection to periodicals throughout its history. Its European stores were known for distributing American newspapers and magazines to expatriates and other readers abroad.
Publishing
Éditions Brentano's
Éditions Brentano's was the company's publishing imprint, operated from its Fifth Avenue headquarters. It specialized in French literature and published works by French writers in exile during the Vichy France period. The publishing department was sold to Coward-McCann in 1933.
Brand decisions
2011
Closure following Borders Group bankruptcyOtherBackground
Competition from large bookstore superstores and online retailers had contributed to the closure of money-losing Brentano's and Waldenbooks locations.
Action taken
Following Borders Group's bankruptcy filing, all remaining Brentano's stores were closed.
Aftermath
Brentano's ceased operating as a retail brand.
1992
Kmart acquires BordersM&ABackground
Brentano's was operating within Waldenbooks, a Kmart subsidiary, when Kmart expanded its bookselling portfolio.
Action taken
Kmart acquired Borders and continued to keep Brentano's in the separate Waldenbooks division.
Aftermath
Brentano's later operated within the Borders-Walden structure and continued to be managed by Waldenbooks.
1984
Retention of Brentano's as an upscale Waldenbooks formatStrategyBackground
Waldenbooks acquired three Brentano's stores during liquidation and initially planned to convert them to its own brand.
Action taken
After the stores performed better than comparable Waldenbooks locations, Waldenbooks retained the Brentano's name and used it for upscale neighborhoods.
Aftermath
The brand survived under corporate ownership for decades, although its store base later contracted amid competition from superstores and internet retailers.
1981
Management buyout from MacmillanM&ABackground
Macmillan decided to divest the Brentano's retail chain after owning it through its corporate relationship with Crowell Collier.
Action taken
Senior Brentano's employees purchased the chain.
Aftermath
The new ownership filed for bankruptcy less than a year later, leading to liquidation in 1984.
1933
Bankruptcy sale to Stanton Griffis and Adolf KrochM&ABackground
Publishers and banks forced Brentano's into bankruptcy after the earlier reorganization failed.
Action taken
Stanton Griffis and Adolf Kroch bought the firm, with Kroch receiving the Chicago operation and regional rights to the Brentano's name.
Aftermath
The transaction created a long-lasting geographic division between the principal chain and the Kroch's and Brentano's operation in the Upper Midwest.
1933
Sale of the publishing departmentStrategyBackground
Brentano's sought to avoid liquidation during its bankruptcy proceedings.
Action taken
The publishing department was sold to Coward-McCann.
Aftermath
Brentano's continued primarily as a retail bookseller rather than an integrated bookstore and publishing company.
1930
Creditor-led reorganizationStrategyBackground
Rapid expansion before the Great Depression left Brentano's with substantial debt and continuing cash-flow problems.
Action taken
Creditors reorganized the company while allowing the Brentano family to continue managing the chain.
Aftermath
The reorganization did not resolve the liquidity crisis, and the company entered bankruptcy in 1933.
Recent events
- 2011
Borders Group bankruptcy closes remaining Brentano's stores[1]
Bankruptcy
Borders Group's bankruptcy and subsequent store closures ended the remaining Brentano's retail operations.
- 1984
Waldenbooks retains Brentano's name for upscale stores[1]
Other
After acquiring three stores in the liquidation, Waldenbooks kept the Brentano's identity when the locations outperformed comparable Waldenbooks stores.
- 1982
Brentano's files for bankruptcy after management buyout[1]
Bankruptcy
The independently managed chain entered bankruptcy less than a year after its purchase from Macmillan.
- 1981
Macmillan sells Brentano's retail chain to management[1]
M&A
Macmillan divested the retail chain through a management buyout involving senior Brentano's employees.
- 1933
Brentano's files for bankruptcy during the Great Depression[1]
Bankruptcy
Continuing cash-flow difficulties, following an earlier creditor-led reorganization, forced Brentano's to seek bankruptcy protection in March 1933.
- 1933
Publishing department sold to Coward-McCann[1]
M&A
Brentano's sold its publishing department as part of an effort to prevent liquidation during its bankruptcy crisis.
Sources1 sources
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