A longtime Burnaby comic book store is saying goodbye.
Metropolis Comics, owned by Jonny Botsch, has announced it will no longer have a physical store after the store's landlord made plans to rent out the entire building the comic book store currently resides in on Kingsway.
In a Facebook post, Bostch said the store began looking at potential new places to move the physical shop but came to the conclusion they would be closing the location instead.
He added that each space they looked at had challenges, which made it hard to find a new landing spot.
"Maybe the rent was okay but the size was too small to keep the gaming tables. Or the space required a renovation too extensive to afford. Moving would only make sense if we thought we could make it work and for innumerable reasons it doesn't look that way."
"This was a very difficult decision to make. This space has been a favourite spot and home for various communities over the 15 years we've been open and while it's nice to make some money, these stores are not huge money-makers, providing that space was the real reason for opening the shop at all."
Although the physical store is closing at 15 years, Botsch said the memories and relationships made were "priceless."
"I'm not a man of many friends, but this store has brought me multiple friends that are lifelong appointments," he wrote.
"People that are priceless to me and I don't take that for granted in any way."
While the landlord has decided to rent out the building, Botsch said they went "above and beyond" to help them try and find a new potential home.
"Their decision to rent out the space was purely based on business and they have gone above and beyond any expectation of what they were obligated to do and they have always been more than fair with us and we couldn't have asked for more."
While the physical store is closing, Metropolis Comics will be adapting to a different business model.
Current pre-orders will be filled and delivered free of charge, with payments being made through PayPal and E-Transfer.
Botsch added all savers may continue service for local deliveries, with free delivery on more than $40 orders within the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
More details will be provided by the end of the month.
Any subscriptions that would like to keep picking up orders will be able to do so at Press Start Games in New Westminster.
"Thank you all who supported the store over the last fifteen years," the post continued.
"It was a wild ride. I really always thought I would be more bitter and angry if I had to close the store, but here we are and I'm really grateful that I got to have this experience and I'm excited for this change and I'm at peace with this decision. Of course I'm also sad and disappointed to close the store, but everything has its season."
