Barnes & Noble set to open new Meridian store. Local author to sign books
Barnes & Noble is just a week away from opening its new store in Meridian.
The book-selling chain plans to open the store at 10 a.m. Wednesday on the north side of The Village at Meridian. The store is located at 2260 N. Eagle Road between Michaels and Nordstrom Rack.
Local author Raegan Fordemwalt is slated to cut the grand opening ribbon and sign copies of her books during a ceremony at the store, according to a news release Wednesday from Barnes & Noble. Fordemwalt is a 21-year-old poet from Boise, according to Google Books. Her latest book, published in February, is called “Prince of Hearts.” She has 3.3 million followers on TikTok.
The 20,000-square-foot store will sell books, games, toys, magazines, gifts and more, the release said. It will also have a coffee shop. Most Barnes & Noble locations have a namesake cafe that serves Starbucks coffee, tea and other drinks.
“The enthusiastic response from the community demonstrates an insatiable appetite for books and bookstores,” Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt said in the release.
Barnes & Noble said in the release that the company is enjoying a period of tremendous growth since handing control of each bookstore to its local booksellers. After years of declining store numbers, the chain opened more new bookstores in 2024 than it had in an entire decade prior. It expects to open over 60 stores in 2025, according to the release.
Barnes & Noble has one other store in the Treasure Valley, on North Milwaukee Street in West Boise.
The new Meridian location is across the street from Half Price Books, a secondhand bookstore, and less than a mile from Seagull Book, which sells faith-based, Latter-day Saints books. The space used to be a Gordmans department store but it closed in 2020 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The store has since undergone a $458,950 renovation, according to a permit filed with the city of Meridian in November.
Barnes & Noble did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday for this story. The company previously told the Idaho Statesman that the Boise store would continue operating as usual.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 4:47 PM.
