The final chapter is about to be written for a beloved Bay Area bookstore.
After more than two decades, the Barnes & Noble at the Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno is shutting its doors for good.
The store, located at 1150 El Camino Real, Space 277, will permanently close on May 2 as its lease expires. The bookseller confirmed the news in the following statement: “It is with great sadness that we confirm the closure of our Barnes & Noble bookstore as our lease has ended. We have loved being a part of this neighborhood, and it has been our honor and privilege to be your bookseller for the last 20 years.”
The San Bruno outpost was one of the Bay Area’s last remaining Barnes & Noble locations Getty ImagesThe San Bruno outpost was one of the Bay Area’s last remaining Barnes & Noble locations, tucked inside a mall that locals say has been fading for years. Shoppers took to social media to mourn the loss.
“I’m going to miss going here, this store was my go to for Trivial Pursuit editions and Criterion sales,” one user wrote. “One of my favorite malls too.”
“Going to have to plan a last visit soon, and even though this news was bound to happen soon, it still hurts,” said another in response to the statement on social media.
“There was a time when you could find me at your location every weekend in the coffee shop in the back, reading one of my latest purchases,” another person posted. “I’ve been dreading this day.”
While two nearby Barnes & Noble stores remain in San Mateo and Burlingame, the closure marks a hit for a company that has seen a resurgence in recent years. Bloomberg via Getty Images
In 2022, Pasadena-based developer Alexandria Real Estate snapped up the 44-acre Tanforan property for a reported $328 million. The company plans to transform the site — just steps from the San Bruno BART station — into a massive mixed-use development featuring 2 million square feet of office space and at least 1,000 homes.
City officials previously blamed the mall’s steady decline on the so-called retail apocalypse, worsened by the pandemic and the relentless shift to online shopping. Construction on the sweeping redevelopment is expected to begin in 2027, though an official closing date for the rest of the mall has yet to be announced.
While two nearby Barnes & Noble stores remain in San Mateo and Burlingame, the closure marks a hit for a company that has seen a resurgence in recent years.
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