Beloved Bookstore Closing In Metro ATL After 30 Years

Cobb County residents are flocking to Barnes and Noble in droves as they prepare to say goodbye to the beloved bookstore, which announced its permanent closure this week.

Social media posts appear to show long lines outside and crowds inside the Cobb Parkway retailer after the longtime business on Monday revealed the closure.

In an Instagram post, Barnes and Noble said it has been "forced" to end its lease after three decades at the Cumberland location, which will stay open until Aug. 19.

"We have loved being a part of your community for the last 30 years and will miss being here," the company wrote in the post.

The building housing Barnes and Noble was reportedly purchased for $12.5 million in December 2024 by RaceTrac, whose headquarters in the 200 block of Gallery Drive Southeast.

The fuel giant plans to transform what will soon be the former-Barnes and Noble into a new store and Potbelly Sandwich Shop, a spokesperson told the Marietta Daily Journal.

This is much to the dismay of local residents who reportedly opposed the opening of a new RaceTrac in the area.

RaceTrac currently operates a fuel center at Spring Road, not too far away from the Barnes and Noble.

“For us to have a bookstore that’s this beautiful, this big, and for it now to be just diminished to a gas station or a corporate building, that’s really sad,” Alexandria Wilkinson told the Marietta Daily Journal.

Supporters of the soon-shuttered Barnes and Noble have noted its incomparable interior, with Dakota Latham telling the Marietta Daily Journal there are none others like it in the Peach State.

A social media influencer, Queen Tay, raved about the store's architecture, saying it "will be deeply missed."

Before Barnes and Noble bids farewell, it is hosting the Big Book Sale. Sales include 40 percent off all books, 30 percent off CDs and DVDs, $1 greeting cards and 50 percent off toys, games and specialty items.

A photo shared by the Barnes and Noble shows a long line formed outside the bookstore.

The company said is searching for a new location in the Cobb community.

It will also be opening at 1205 Caroline St. NE in Atlanta's Edgewood community in July and at 2943-C N. Druid Hills Road in Atlanta's Toco Hills community in the fall.

Barnes and Noble additionally operates locations at:

• 2900 Peachtree Road NE, Ste. 310, Buckhead
• 120 Perimeter Center West, Ste. 300, Atlanta
• 136 Marketplace Pkwy., Ste. 700, Dawsonville
• 342 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan
• 3333 Buford Drive, Space VA01, Buford
• 410 Peachtree Pkwy., Bldg. 200, Ste. 252, Cumming
• 1350 Scenic Hwy., Ste. 100, Snellville
• 3625 Dallas Hwy. SW, Ste. 400, Marietta
• 7660 Northpoint Pkwy., Ste 200, Alpharetta
• 50 Barrett Pkwy., Ste. 3000, Bldg. 3, Marietta
• 5135 Peachtree Pkwy., Ste. 910, Peachtree Corners
• 5141 Peachtree Pkwy., Peachtree Corners
• 4475 Roswell Road, Ste. 102, Marietta