By David Cox

Defying trends, Paras News of North Park is expanding in its 60th year

Paras News in North Park has an eclectic assortment of customers coming through its doors, from homeless beggars on the street to top executives driving exotic cars. And during a time when the Internet is king, this newsstand filled with newspapers and magazines from floor to ceiling is defying critics who have proclaimed that print is dead.

Opened in 1955 in a former cigar shop, Paras News was founded by Christopher Paras and his father. It has stood the test of time for the past 60 years near the same busy corner of 30th Street and University Avenue.

Kent Snyder, the store’s manager, has been working there for almost 30 years and was around when the Paras family still owned the newsstand. Snyder says that working there gives him something to look forward to every day.

“We get shipments every week,” Snyder said. “So our publications rotate on a regular basis, we get stuff almost every day, but our biggest shipment days are Thursday and Friday. I do all the research myself to find and make sure our distributors carry magazines that get requested by our customers. We get a lot of customers who walk in and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you carry this!’ It’s a great feeling. I love it.”

In an age filled with smartphones, electronic tablets and e-readers, Paras News has managed to stave off the ravages of technological advancement that has harmed the print industry. The newsstand has grown three times its original size with plans to add an additional 500 periodicals, with over 4,000 current publications and paperbacks. Ann Gabbara, the store’s co-owner, says that she will only be adding what her customers request.

“We try to accommodate every customer who comes in, whether foreign or otherwise,” Gabbara said.

Some of the most popular topics are wine, auto, business, guns and politics, which will see increased growth during the expansion.

One thing Gabbara said she isn’t planning on doing before or after the expansion is getting rid of any magazine titles. She plans to keep what is currently in stock and add to the store’s growing selection.

“We’re not going to be cutting back on what we already have,” Gabbara said. “In this business, the reason for our success is the diversity of our selection. We have magazines nobody else will carry because of the overhead, so our customers come from near and far to get them or order them.”

In addition to the many magazines and journals encircling the interior of the store, there are also the edibles, snacks, refreshments, cigars and a new coffee bar that contribute to the convenience side of the operation. With all the hustle and bustle, one can see why the expansion has been a long time coming.

“I’ve had a few customers that have been coming around here since Chris owned the store,” Kent said. “They grew up in the neighborhood, and it was and has always been a neighborhood store. They come in here and say, ‘I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.’ And now they’re like 50.”

One of the great things about Paras is that if they don’t carry a specific magazine or periodical, they will research and find it, which in turn creates many returning customers.

“We have probably the largest magazine selection in San Diego,” Kent said. “We carry many of the magazines big name retailers don’t have because they won’t bother stocking them. We always want to ensure our clients and customers are happy.”

Carlos Garcia, a customer who has been coming to Paras for the last three years, told San Diego Uptown News that he is excited for the expansion and said that it will be great to see what new titles will be added.

“The expansion will be good for the store,” Garcia said. “Not many places do this anymore, not many stores have the selection Paras has, and for them to add to that makes me very happy. When you have a magazine in front of you, you feel more informed; going on the Internet, you’re hit with ads and most of the time you can’t even finish what you’re reading. Paras tries to accommodate your interest and every time I’ve come looking for something, I’ve never been disappointed.”

The one thing you will notice if you are in Paras long enough is the family atmosphere from the folks who walk in. Most are regulars on their commute to work, catching the No. 2 or No. 6 bus that stops in front of the store or the No. 7 or No. 10 bus at the nearby intersection. Many of them come in for the same publication because they know they can rely on Paras to have exactly what they want, when they want it.

“I have two guys that come in everyday for The New York Times,” Gabbara said. “We put copies especially for them behind the counter. Sometimes they come late, sometimes they come early, but we always have their newspaper ready for them, even when we run out on the shelves.”

Besides the ambience of an era and a feeling from long ago, Paras has been and will remain a mainstay of North Park, its owners vow. They intend to keep the milestone of a generation of readers intact and are looking forward to a bright future with its growing family of neighborhood bookworms and occasional international passersby.

—David Cox is a photojournalist with the Navy. Contact him at [email protected].