Barnes & Noble is a popular bookstore that first opened in the 1880s in New York City, but it has far surpassed those city lines, as you can now find Barnes & Noble all over the country. After being in operation for many years and even through the Great Depression, Barnes & Noble was bought by Leonardo Riggio, who was behind the business’ growth.

Barnes & Noble was the first bookstore to be advertised on TV, and throughout the years, it became the store that many people love and run to whenever they are looking to buy a new book. As the years have gone by, Barnes & Noble has become increasingly popular to the point where now, there are over 600 stores and plans for more.

Amongst the list of the 60 new stores that are set to be opened, one stands out in particular, this one being the future store of Brea CA. This new location has many people excited, but why do people love Barnes & Noble so much in the first place? Barnes & Noble currently has around 600 stores, but CEO James Daunt currently plans to open 60 new locations all over the US. Out of these 60 new locations, about half of them are set to be open before 2026, one of them being the Future Barnes & Noble in Brea, CA. This store opened on November 5, 2025, and it is located in the Brea Plaza.

This is a great location for Barnes & Noble since it is surrounded by stores like Chipotle, Creamistry, Chick-fil-a, and Starbucks, which is likely the reason why, unlike many of the Barnes & Noble stores, this new location will not be featuring a Starbucks.

Although this new location won’t have a Starbucks inside, it will include toys and games, as well as an extended vinyl collection. This is a great feature since lots of people from Brea and Yorba Linda love records and will now be able to buy them at a more convenient location. Angeline Han (10) expresses, “As a resident of Yorba Linda who loves to read, I was so happy to hear that I would soon have a Barnes & Noble closer to my house.”

Before this new store was announced, the closest Barnes & Noble for most of the residents in Yorba Linda was the one in Amerage Heights, or the one in Chino Hills, both of which are about a 30-40 minute drive. This changes with the new location in Brea, since now it will be about a 15 minute drive!

Speaking of Barnes & Noble’s wide selection of books, could that be the reason why people love this store so much? The truth is, it likely is one of the reasons why these stores have become so popular, but definitely not the only one. Barnes & Noble offers many things that a lot of other bookstores don’t, such as diverse products, in-store experiences, and cafes. Of these fun amenities, the cafes are likely one of the main reasons why these stores have become so popular, more specifically, the Starbucks cafes. It is no secret that people, and especially teenagers, love Starbucks, and even in general lots of people love enjoying a coffee or a sweet treat while they search through Barnes & Noble’s many aisles of books.

Since many of their locations include Starbucks in-store, this makes them more appealing when compared to other bookstores because most don’t include a vanilla latte and cake pop from Starbucks. There are plenty of great things about Barnes & Noble; however, one of the downsides of these stores is that they tend to be a little pricier than your average bookstore. Lina Lin (10) explains that “I love shopping at Barnes & Noble, but I just wish it wasn’t so pricey, it even makes me think twice before buying a book there.”

Barnes & Noble’s higher prices are likely caused by the amenities that the store includes. To have cafes like Starbucks, and fun in-store experiences, the company must obtain money from somewhere to support them, that somewhere being the sale of books. When Barnes & Noble first opened their stores, a brand-new hardcover book sold for anywhere between $0.85 to $1.00, whereas now a new, hardcover book sells for almost $30. Now, when comparing the original prices to the current prices, you need to consider factors like inflation, which have caused the price to increase; the average new hardcover book costs around $25.

With the new Brea location in mind, it will be interesting to see how the store does since there is a public library right across the street from it. Still, many Yorba Linda residents will likely be excited to see what this new store has to offer. There are plenty of reasons as to why people love these stores so much, and it isn’t hard to see why. From the collection of records and CDs to their wide selection of books, Barnes & Noble is the perfect place to go when you’re on the hunt for books and a fun time!