One of the world’s largest booksellers returns to Tysons Corner Center next week in a new, revamped location.
Barnes & Noble will officially open its doors next Wednesday (June 18), returning to the mall in a brand new space with an updated layout.
“Our McLean booksellers are excited to be back and are especially pleased to welcome customers into such a unique and beautifully designed Barnes & Noble,” Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt said.
The store’s grand opening at 10 a.m. will include an appearance by bestselling author David Baldacci, who will help cut the ribbon and sign copies of his most recent novel, the World War II-set “Strangers in Time.”
The new store is located on the first floor of the mall, directly across from H&M. It’s a stone’s throw from the brand’s old two-story location at the mall, which anchored the mall’s east end before closing in May 2024.
Coming in at roughly 16,000 square feet, the new store will be significantly smaller than its two-story predecessor, though that isn’t expected to have an impact on the store’s offerings.
“Although the new store is smaller than the old one, it has almost the same number of bookcases,” the company said in a press release. “Customers can be certain to find the wide selection of all the best books, toys, games and gifts that they have come to expect from the nation’s premier bookseller.”
A spokesperson previously confirmed to FFXnow that the new store will also offer a selection of movies and music, including both vinyl and CD releases.
Also included in the new store is an updated B&N Cafe, providing an improved in-house coffee and snacks option for readers.
“I am excited to bring Barnes & Noble back to Tysons Corner Center and the McLean community,”store manager Mike Doliani said. “We are bringing an exceptional bookstore in one of America’s great stand-out malls!”
The reopening of Barnes & Noble isn’t the only change on the books for the mall this year.
Shotted, a Saudi Arabian-inspired coffee bar, will relocate to a larger location after closing its second-floor doors earlier this year. The popular cafe is currently operating out of a kiosk in front of the now-vacant Gap outlet, which closed this spring ahead of a move to a first-floor space closer to the Bloomingdale’s end of the mall.
Gap will be adjacent to a new, 18,000-square-foot space for Uniqlo that’s expected to open later this year, the Washington Business Journal reported in May.
The shuffling of several businesses appears to presage a larger overhaul of the mall’s west end. Renderings posted to Tysons Corner Center’s website and an investor presentation from property owner Macerich show renovations to the area from Bloomingdale’s to Macy’s.
The west end redevelopment is “reimagining the shopper experience … into a vibrant and walkable retail, dining and entertainment district, anchored by upscale dining and a luxury market,” Macerich said in the presentation.
Tysons Corner Center has so far declined to provide further details on the renovation plan, including how it will affect existing retailers like American Girl, but the changes are part of a collective $100 million investment in enhancements by both Macerich and individual tenants, according to the investor presentation.
That includes completed improvements like the new Apple store that opened in 2023 and a makeover of the mall’s east end, where the Cheesecake Factory is now located. The entertainment venue Level99 Italian restaurant Maggiano’s are also expected to open there later in 2025 and in 2026, respectively.
Other upcoming retailers include the cookie shop Chip City Cookies, Reformation, Altar’d States and a showroom for the electric vehicle maker Rivan. Recent openings have included the jewelry stores Gorjana and Mejuri, plus an expanded Sunglass Hut.
