The Maui’s only saga Barnes & Noble– the only supplier of new books on the island – and its search for a new permanent home continues with the company’s announcement this afternoon that the company will move its operations from Lahaina to Kahului in March.

Here’s a statement from Jim Lampassi, vice president of real estate development at Barnes & Noble, on the move:

Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce that we will continue to operate in Maui at a new temporary location in Kahului. Our real estate team has worked tirelessly to find a new home on the island since the lease expired at our old location, and we would like to thank our broker, Roger Lyons of CBRE in Honolulu, for helping us identify a short – suitable circuit. term lease until we find a more permanent location. We would also like to thank Petco, the former occupant of the space to whom we are licensing. The outpouring of support from the community has been heartwarming and we look forward to continuing to serve our loyal customers in the area. The planned opening date of the new store is 12th of March, pending permit, in the Maui market, and it will feature a similar assortment of books and products.

It’s hard to imagine that the bookstore would stay in the Maui market all the time. It’s largely empty now – the Sports Authority closed a long time ago, and Petco and Lowe have moved next door to Target.

No one from the Barnes & Noble store in Lahaina would comment on the company’s announcement this afternoon. But an employee, who asked not to be named, agreed to comment. “I’m excited about a change of location and very happy to be moving to the Kahului side, but would like us to miss Target,” the employee said. “Maui Marketplace is a great center, but I think Petco’s location isn’t the best for Barnes & Noble. It’s a bit small and far to the center.

Store officials announced in October that an inability to negotiate a new lease at the Lahaina Gateway Center (where they had been for a decade) meant the bookstore – which has hosted countless community events over the years – would permanently close at the end. from 2017. But after this story which we published on October 21, 2017, a huge wave of community support led to a reversal from those in charge of the Barnes & Noble company. While they were vague on the store’s immediate future, they said they would in fact keep it open.

Photo: Sean M. Hower

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