Tattered Cover plans to get out of bankruptcy in 8 months, company announces

Chris Aagaard considers a book for sale at the Tattered Cover at McGregor square. The location closed when the Denver independent bookseller filed for bankruptcy in October 2023. The company announced on March 8 that it aims to be profitable again by 2025 as it restructures its finances and operations.
Alex Edwards / Denver Gazette
Tattered Cover Book Store officials announced plans to finish the popular retailer’s bankruptcy chapter.
Parent company Bended Page LLC aims to get the beloved Denver bookstore out of bankruptcy in eight months, according to reorganization plans filed Thursday with the federal bankruptcy court in Colorado.
The 52-year-old independent bookstore chain went into bankruptcy in October as economic pressures from the pandemic, such as shutdowns and increased online competition, put the company into severe debt and it needed to restructure to stay in business.
Three stores closed in Westminster, Colorado Springs and downtown Denver’s McGregor Square and the company laid off 25 employees.
Tattered Cover expects to come out of bankruptcy as a smaller and more financially sustainable chain, the company said in a statement.
By reducing costs and improving operations Tattered Cover could be profitable again by 2025.
The reorganization plan needs to be approved by the bankruptcy court, which is expected to hold a hearing in May.
The company is still considering whether to keep its existing four locations open or move somewhere less expensive. It has $21,500 in debt to the landlord of its Colfax Avenue location, according to the filings.
Including the Colfax store, Tattered Cover has locations in Aurora, Littleton and Union Station.
Tattered Cover also had large debts to publishers, according to the filing, and going into bankruptcy ensured it could buy enough books and meet demand ahead of its most crucial time of the year: the holiday season.
The company lost about $340,000 in January due to higher costs from the holiday season and it expects more losses in February, according to another filing from earlier this month.
The bookstore aims to increase sales this year by improving customer experience, fixing relationships with publishers, upgrading technology, growing its online presence and hosting events.
The company still has many negotiations, challenges and difficult decisions ahead, said CEO Brad Dempsey in a statement.
“But with the continued hard work of our incredible team and support from people in Colorado as well as across the nation,” Dempsey said, “we are optimistic about Tattered Cover’s future.”