What goes better with a good book than food (other than a little wine)? Barnes & Noble Kitchen is answering the call of the new wave literati and pairing its bookstores with a variety of food choices for book-loving foodies in four major U.S. cities.
This week, the retail chain opened up the fourth Barnes & Noble Kitchen in Plano, Texas. – Like its predecessors, this one comes with a full-service bar, and restaurant serving American cuisine like grilled salmon, salads and hamburgers. Unlike the Starbucks Café in traditional Barnes & Noble’s bookstores, the ‘Kitchens’ are fairly upscale and serve a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. In an interview with Dallas News, Chef Robbie Nowlin said they’re working to expand the menu and offer a weekend brunch option in the future.
Image courtesy of planomagazine.com
In addition to scrumptious pancakes, desserts and breads, Barnes & Noble Kitchens also have some items for more discerning palettes like heir menu includes items like avocado toast, kale salad, plancha-cooked salmon, and butterscotch pot de crème. The Kitchens serve local craft beers and a full wine list throughout the day. Prices for entrees range from $12 – $22, and depending on what location you’re visiting, a glass of wine can start at around $9.
The bookstores inside tend to be smaller than the traditional stores in order to make space for the restaurant, but the store’s layout remains true to form. features that are most loved at Barnes and Noble, like the magazine stall, the general fiction, best-sellers, teen novels, and kids section, are all still there. With four locations to date, starting in late 2016, more Barnes and Noble Kitchens are soon set to arrive.
No longer just your typical bookstore, the Barnes and Noble Kitchens are becoming destinations, instead; places to share a meal with a friend, with a browse through the books afterwards. These new stores mark a shift for the bookseller chain, putting the focus on the stores more on the environment for the customers, and creating a more comfortable place to arrive, stay, and shop.
There are currently four Barnes and Noble Kitchen locations, in Plano, TX; Scarsdale, NY; Edina, MN; and Folsom, CA. For more information, hours, and menus, please check out their website at barnesandnoblekitchen.com.
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