Rapid City, S.D. (KOTA) - Rapid City welcomed a new hub for book lovers on Wednesday as Barnes & Noble officially opened its doors in Rushmore Crossing.
The new store covers more than 20,000 square feet, filled with a café, toys, games, knick-knacks, and of course, books.
“Books are where it’s at,” exclaimed Melissa Anderson, the store manager.
“There has been a resurgence of reading actual books over the digital forms. It’s all about the feel, the aesthetic, looking at the cover, seeing what it looks like, feeling the texture, knowing I’m halfway through because I can feel how thick the pages are, the feeling of the paper. All of it creates a fantastic experience for me and it’s what I hope I can give to other people,” said Anderson.
Barnes & Noble serves over 600 communities in all states, and Anderson says she is excited to bring a business that encapsulates her passion for books to her neighborhood.
“We got possession of this building exactly three weeks ago, so we have done all of this work from bare shelves to what you see today in three weeks, so a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but we are all so happy and so excited to share it all with you,” said Anderson.
The store is located in Rushmore Crossing next to TJ Maxx.
In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019, and expects to open 60 throughout this year.
