By: Kate Thomas and Maya Muniz
The new Barnes and Noble at South Coast Plaza has officially opened! On August 26th, 2026 the bookstore officially opened for business. Many booklovers in Costa Mesa have been waiting since January for this event. The plans were officially announced to the public on January 12th when physical signage was posted in the Macy’s at the mall.
Opening day was a massive success at South Coast Plaza. Young-Adult author of the popular series Shatter Me, Tareh Mafi, was there to cut the ribbon. She stayed afterwards for a meet and greet with her beloved fans and to hand out signed copies of her latest book Refy Me. People lined up throughout the mall, waiting for their turn to enter the establishment.
Hitching Post: “What was your experience with the new Barnes and Nobles? How was the customer service?”
Customer: “It was amazing! I have never seen another Barnes and Noble this well stocked and organized! The workers were also extremely friendly!”
Hitching Post: “What were some of your favorite features of the store? What made it so organized and easy to navigate?”
Customer: “I loved how easy it was to find everything in the store. There were large organized sections throughout the store labeled young adult, fiction, autobiography, etc. I also loved the cafe location.”
Many customers also stated they were glad there was now a Barnes and Noble closer to their homes. Before the new one opened the closest Barnes and Nobles to Costa Mesa 2was at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island about 15-20 minutes away depending on where you live.
Even though opening day was over a month ago, the store is still a hot commodity in Costa Mesa. People are still crowding its shelves, posting on social media, and purchasing their next read at the new location. However, there are some downsides to this new addition.
Many people are worried that parking will become increasingly difficult now that this new store has opened. Even before Barnes and Nobles opened, South Coast Plaza was notorious for having horrible parking and crazy drivers. Parking battles are already common but with new crowds being attracted to the mall, regular customers are fearing for the worst.
There is also talk on whether adding yet another chain bookstore will significantly impact the nearby mom and pop bookstores in Costa Mesa. Some fear that putting convenience over supporting small businesses might put local independent bookstores in hot water. The community regularly reminds its residents to balance their shopping habits by continuing to purchase from local stores like Arvida Book Co. In Tusitin, Lido Village Books in Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach Books in addition to shopping at large chain bookstores.
In all of this one thing is for sure; South Coast Plaza has never been busier than it is now. But the question is will that become a bad thing? From parking to local businesses every good thing comes with additional setbacks. But with push back from the community will this new bookstore last or will it be another story of what once was?
