A New Barnes & Noble Is Headed For Westchester

MOUNT KISCO, NY — Northern Westchester is home to some of the most beloved independent booksellers in the region and a storied national chain is betting there's room in the market for a familiar new entry.

During the March 18th Mount Kisco Village Board meeting, Trustee Karen Schleimer enthusiastically mentioned that a Barnes & Noble was coming to Mount Kisco and she described it as "the most exciting thing I've heard in a very, very long time."

"I know that a lot of people on hearing this can't wait," Schleimer added. "It's a big, big plus for Mount Kisco and I'm sure we're all looking forward to it. I'm very, very, very excited."

Barnes & Noble signed a lease for the former Walgreens/Rite Aid space on S. Moger Ave. in Mount Kisco, set to start on Aug. 2.

A Barnes & Noble spokesperson told Patch the new store is expected to open this fall. The store will be built in the new design, similar to stores that have recently opened in Westport and Hartsdale. But the company says the Mount Kisco store will still have all of the things customers have come to love about Barnes & Noble, including a wonderful selection of books, a compliment of educational toys, games and puzzles, gifting, a vinyl selection and a Barnes & Noble cafe.

The 13,700-square-foot space is in a Friedland-owned retail building, which the chamber said "will be a great addition to the already vibrant downtown area."

"We consider the investment from Barnes & Noble to the Mount Kisco community to be a statement of support for who we are as a community and our commitment to our residents, businesses, and the communities north of I-287," Loretta Brooks and Beth Vetare Civitello, Co-Executive Directors of the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce, told Patch.

The chamber also added that it is working with Westchester County, the Village of Mount Kisco, and the Economic Development Council on a Downtown Improvement Grant (DIG). Mount Kisco is one of only five towns/villages in the county to receive this grant. Recipients will be awarded up to $250,000, with the village investing $50,000.

"We acknowledge and agree that for a village/town/city to thrive, residents and non-residents alike need to be part of the economy. Economic growth and diversity mean stability," the co-directors added. "Our belief, based on the health of our local economy, is that the advent of Barnes & Noble choosing Mount Kisco for one of their next locations secures Mount Kisco as a destination for both residents and businesses. We continue to be the hub of Northern Westchester."

Barnes & Noble has previously announced that the company is going through a growth spurt. In 2023, the company opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019.

The bookshop expects to open over 50 new locations in 2024.