Famous author Nelson DeMille cuts the ribbon at the New LI Barnes & Noble

RIVERHEAD, NY – A long line of excited shoppers waited over an hour at Riverhead on Wednesday for a moment many said they had been waiting for – a chance not only to meet famed New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille, but to welcome a brand new Barnes & Noble to the neighborhood.

“We’re very excited,” said Pat Kelly, who was outside before the ribbon cutting; DeMille cut the red ribbon.

“It’s amazing,” added Joan Kirtman.

Dawn Anderson was also waiting outside for the doors to open on the first day of the store. “I’m going to look for a bookstore in town, a mile from my house!” she says. “I am happy.”

Marilyn Banks-Winter was also thrilled. “I like the fact that we have a company that has tangible books.” Banks-Winter, Founder and Co-Chair of African American Educational Cultural Festival, said she hopes to feature Afro-Indigenous authors at the bookstore. A librarian at Brookhaven National Laboratory and former trustee of the Riverhead Free Library, she said nothing is better than feeling a book in your hands.

The event began with store manager Sarah deQuillfeldt thanking the crowd for coming out to celebrate the grand opening. “We are thrilled to open the first new Barnes & Noble on Long Island in 14 years,” she said, also thanking its booksellers whose “hard work, dedication and effort really put this store together. and allowed today to happen.”

She then introduced DeMille, to cheers and applause.

DeMille, who lives in Garden City, said it was the second time he had cut a ribbon at a Barnes & Noble on Long Island – the first was 14 years ago at Carle Place.

“He’s a great addition to the community,” DeMille said. “I know the community will support this place. It’s a beautiful store – one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

The crowd seemed to agree, patiently waiting in a long line for DeMille’s new book, “The Maze,” to be signed and also, happily perusing the many offerings on display at the new bookstore.

Book #8 in the John Corey series, following now-retired NYPD homicide detective John Corey, Barnes & Noble said. DeMille wrote a series of best-selling action, adventure, and thriller novels, many of them, including “Plum Island,” set on Long Island.

As they waited in line, DeMille fans buzzed over the books they had read and liked best, cheering excitedly as they approached the signing table. Many also agreed, with a common refrain: “It’s so nice to be here, celebrating the books again,” said one man.

Speaking to Patch, DeMille said, “I love meeting my fans. I’m on a book tour right now, and I’ve been all over the country meeting fans. Now I’m back at the home on Long Island, that’s where I live – and it’s nice to see friends and neighbors.”

The store is the first of two locations the bookseller plans to bring to Long Island soon.

The new Barnes & Noble is located at 1470 Old Country Road, across from The Home Depot and Shop Rite, near DSW in the storefront recently vacated by Pier 1 Imports.

The new location joins other Barnes & Noble bookstores in the Long Island area at Smith Haven Mall, East Northport, Bay Shore, Massapequa, Carle Place, Lake Success and Manhasset.

“It’s been a long time since Riverhead enjoyed having its own bookstore and we’re delighted to be opening one again,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Riverhead’s wonderful team of booksellers, led by Store Manager Sarah deQuillfeldt, have been hard at work getting their new store ready for the holiday season. Creating a slate of community-friendly book signings, author events and storytimes was a top priority for this experienced team of booksellers. »

The new Riverhead bookstore is the 12th Barnes & Noble to open so far this year, and the bookseller has announced plans to open at least 30 more in the near future. That compares to just 15 total new stores opened in the nine years from 2010 to 2019, according to a statement.

“When Borders closed in Riverhead in 2011, it left a void felt by many local readers. Customers have expressed their desire to open a Barnes & Noble in Riverhead and I’m so happy to be able to give our neighbors what they’re asking for,” deQuillfeldt said. “Our team is entirely local to Long Island and we’ve been eagerly stocking our shelves with the books we know our community will love. I look forward to opening our doors and welcoming everyone.

Riverhead Town supervisor Yvette Aguiar was delighted with the news. “There is a lot of excitement here in Riverhead at the prospect of Barnes & Noble opening on Route 58. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned to reading physical books. to have a Fortune 500 company here in Riverhead is huge Without a doubt, they’ve done some expensive market analysis and found a home here in Riverhead We welcome Barnes & Noble to Riverhead.

For several years, the future of bookstores, and books in general, looked bleak. According to a Publisher’s Weekly report, between 1991 and 2011, the nation has lost more than 1,000 bookstore chains. During this same period, the message indicates that Barnes & Noble had only two fewer locations.

According to a recent Publisher’s Weekly report, Barnes & Nobles CEO Daunt took advantage of the pandemic break to renovate many sites; a look at the bookseller’s recent press releases shows many across the country are reopeningand new stores “in decent numbers” are slated for 2022, according to Publisher’s Weekly.