After two decades as a familiar stop for Peninsula book lovers, the Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno is closing its doors on May 2. The shutdown lands amid a long, slow exodus of tenants and a looming overhaul of the aging mall, turning the loss of a full-service bookstore into a very literal sign of change.
In a brief social media post, the store told customers, "It is with great sadness that we confirm the closure of our Barnes & Noble bookstore as our lease has ended," and listed May 2 as the final day of business. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the message directed readers to visit the chain’s Hillsdale and Burlingame locations or shop online once the San Bruno shop goes dark.
Tanforan Redevelopment Is Driving Departures
The Shops at Tanforan occupies roughly 44 acres purchased by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, which has floated a plan that would keep Target and the movie theater in place while adding up to 2 million square feet of life-science space and at least 1,000 housing units next to the San Bruno BART station. The proposal is still working its way through the approval process, and the owner has not set an official closure date for the mall, according to the Tanforan project FAQ.
What The Loss Means For Local Book Shoppers
Barnes & Noble has been retooling its presence in recent years, opening new locations and acquiring Books Inc. in a strategy that has expanded its footprint while rattling some independent booksellers. As reported by SFGATE, the retailer has launched dozens of new stores even as it shutters others whose leases are expiring, a pattern that highlights how the Bay Area’s retail map is being redrawn location by location.
Shoppers trying to squeeze in one last visit, or figure out where to go next, can still check the San Bruno store’s official listing for current hours, events and inventory. Barnes & Noble’s store page lists the San Bruno location at The Shops at Tanforan, 1150 El Camino Real, Space 277, and also points customers to nearby Peninsula branches at Hillsdale Shopping Center and in Burlingame for in-person browsing and events; see the Barnes & Noble store listing for details.
The Barnes & Noble closure is the latest in a series of anchor exits at Tanforan, following JCPenney and Sears, which leaves Target and the movie theater as the remaining big-name draws until redevelopment advances. City-facing materials and reporting describe the overall redevelopment timeline as still fluid and note that no official date has been set for a full mall shutdown, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
