Calling all bookworms and non-bookworms alike! Barnes and Noble reopened at a new location in the Galleria on Nov. 29 with a new concept: “retail-tainment.” Following a ten-year stock market slump in nationwide bookstores, Barnes and Noble is testing this concept in four select locations of the country including Edina. The Barnes & Noble store at Mall of America is a fifth potential candidate to receive a makeover.

“Retail-tainment”, for Barnes and Noble, means an improved customer service and new dining and lounging areas for any occasion. It’s a great place to pick up a coffee in the morning, eat lunch with friends, or go out for a family brunch or dinner. In addition, Barnes and Noble provides an ideal homework spot with its free wifi, tables with power outlets, and seats for reading. “There’s a nice section where you can sit down and read” said sophomore Morgan Mellum. The chain is counting on people to meet up, hang out, and make Barnes and Noble a prime social space. The remodeled store follows modern trends: high ceilings, bright lights, large windows, chandeliers, and a café counter with white subway tile. “Barnes and Noble is a lot more open and brighter” said Mellum.

Barnes and Noble now features a full-service restaurant, café, and bar. The bookchain partnered with AvroKO and the Branstetter Group to create the new design for Barnes and Noble Kitchen. The 100-seat restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Sheamus Feeley, chef consultant for Branstetter, created an exclusive menu with lemon-ricotta pancakes, potato purée, brisket burger, salmon à la plancha, and slow-cooked beef short ribs.

Barnes and Noble aspires to match Amazon’s customer service through the addition of kiosks that can tell a potential customer whether the desired merchandise is in stock and where exactly it’s located within the store. Furthermore, paying has been facilitated with the option to check out or place online orders via a digital tablet and a salesperson. The booksellers will be throughout the store for convenience.

The Barnes and Noble across from Galleria’s Starbucks closed after 25 years of business. Their previous location is expected to be filled with eight to ten new retailers and bring in new businesses. The new space is bigger at 21,500 square feet and located on the lower east side of the Galleria replacing Len Druskin, California Closets, and Bang & Olufsen.

On Saturday Dec. 10, the Edina location will host a book fair supporting local performers and authors. The Edina Valley View Middle School Chamber Choir will sing from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the Harmony Bridge Club plan to perform from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Throughout their performances, local authors Daniel Corrigan and Danny Sigelman will be signing for their book Heyday: 35 Years of Music in Minneapolis at 11:00 a.m. Likewise, Jerry Kill and Jim Bruton plan to author sign at 1:00 p.m. in honor of their book Chasing Dreams, Living My Life One Yard at a Time. To conclude the fair, Karen Wiswell and Kristine Rauenhorst will be at Barnes & Noble for signing and a storytime for their picture book When Grammy Comes to Play.

Be sure to stop by and meet these great authors or listen to the talented Edina choir!