Barnes & Noble is making its long-awaited return to Costa Mesa, setting up a new location at South Coast Plaza in the former Macy’s Home wing, at 3333 Bear St. The OC Register reports the bookstore will feature a company-branded B&N Café for shoppers to purchase snacks and drinks.
This marks a notable return to the area for the bookseller, which previously operated at the Metro Pointe center across the street from the mall. That location closed in 2016 when the lease expired, according to the LA Times.
But recently the company has been opening new stores locally, including ones in Brea, Tustin, and Orange. The company has undergone a revitalization since being acquired by a private equity firm in 2019, with a nationwide plan to debut 60 new stores this year.
Many new outposts include onsite B&N Cafés. The concept serves hot coffees, blended beverages, soups, sandwiches, and bakery items, with offerings like roasted chicken noodle soup, tomato caprese sandwiches, and specialty cookies.
“We are still refining our final design, and any information we share right now would be a bit premature. Our goal is to align our offering in an elevated way similar to what the market will be receptive to, and intend to have some tests and unique offerings,” Jason Stryker, Head of Real Estate & Development, told What Now OC.
