It's a sad day for book lovers in Arlington: Pantego Books, a family-owned bookstore at 2910 W. Pioneer Pkwy. in the Dalworthington Gardens area, is closing after three years. Its final day will be on May 31.

The owners shared the sad news in a note, stating that the decision took months of deliberation. Unfortunately, they were not making a profit.

"We had our slowest fourth quarter last year since opening, which would’ve been very scary had we not had a cushion from doing NTTBF (North Texas Teen Book Festival)," they said. "With the amount of hours away from my family that I’ve poured into this store to keep the doors open without ever taking a paycheck, I couldn’t justify signing a new lease here or anywhere else to see if business would improve."

Pantego Books was founded by husband-and-wife duo Lee and Morgan Moore, who opened the store in October 2022 in a former barber shop that happened to be right next door to Campo Verde, the Mexican restaurant famous for its year-round Christmas decorations (recently saved from closure by chef Mouhssine “Moose” Benhamacht, who is working on reopening).

The shop was the fulfillment of a longtime dream they shared, specializing in young adult fiction, science fiction, mystery, poetry, and children's books. They did all the right things to cultivate a community including hosting author signings, book clubs, artful display of new releases, and participating in events like the North Texas Teen Book Festival. Alas, bookstores operate on a profit margin best described as modest.

The remaining bookstore landscape in Arlington includes a Half Price Books for new and used books on South Cooper Street; book retailer Barnes and Noble inside The Parks Mall; Mardel Christian & Education, a Christian bookstore; and The Dock Bookshop, a south Fort Worth store that specializes in history, biographies, and African-American reads.

In any case, the couple said they are closing "on a happy note" with some markdowns already in place such as their celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on April 26 when they'll offer 20 percent off all titles and score mugs and free copies of slightly damaged books with a minimum purchase.

"Let me just take this opportunity to thank you guys for your support over the last almost three years," the post said. "The amount of love that you’ve shown my little store has meant so much to me. It’s been an amazing thing to watch friendships flourish that might not have happened if it weren’t for Pantego Books."