Updated Thursday, April 16, at 11 a.m.
Three Chico institutions have recently announced the end of their operations: the Synthesis Weekly, Empire Coffee and Lyon Books.
This week, Lyon Books announced that after 12 years in business, the downtown bookstore would be closing its doors forever.
Owners Heather and Aaron Lyon shared on the store’s website that they “are so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the community in this way” and that the family is staying in Chico but pursuing other business endeavors.
Heather Lyon told the Chico Enterprise-Record that the decision “became obvious it was necessary.” The store will begin its liquidation sale Thursday at 9 a.m.
In other closures, Empire Coffee, the coffee shop located in a restored rail car near the Chico train station, announced last week that nine years after opening, its lease from the Chico Art Center would not be renewed. There has been strong backlash from the public over the Art Center’s decision and Empire owner Lindsay Brothers told the Chico E-R that she “felt blindsided.” An article in the Chico News & Review published Thursday presents the Art Center's view that the backlash it has received is based on misinformation and misunderstanding.
Lastly, the Synthesis newspaper announced in March that after 21 years, printing of the tabloid, which focused on entertainment, would cease. The paper's last issue came out on March 30.
