The relocated Barnes & Noble bookstore has been a great success since its grand opening July 11 near the University of Toledo at the corner of Dorr Street and Secor Road.
“We far exceeded last year’s sales (for the same time period) in the first week we were open,” said Colleen Strayer, general manager of the campus bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble.
“All in all, we think our new location is a home run,” Strayer said. Strayer reported that foot traffic in the store, which is part of UT’s Gateway Project, has been steady, with people responding, “beautiful,” when asked what they think of the store.
The cafe has been an especially big hit with customers, she said.
“We have seen a marked increase in families with children in the store as compared to our former location in the Student Union,” Strayer said.
Bookstore and UT officials hoped the Barnes & Noble store would act as an anchor for Gateway development and attract customers from the surrounding community.
“The opening of the new Barnes & Noble was a great way to kick off Gateway phase one and showcase the institution’s commitment to creating a student-centered environment,” said Matt Schroeder, vice president for real estate and business development for the University of Toledo Foundation.
Schroeder said foundation members began talking with students several years ago about concepts for a gateway on the southwest corner of the UT campus. That talk became a reality with the Gateway Project.
“We wanted to plant a flag in the ground to show our commitment to reinvestment in the community with the Gateway development,” Schroeder said.
In 2004, the UT Foundation created a subsidiary, the UT Foundation Real Estate Corp., to handle all real estate transactions and investment of property for the university, Schroeder said. He joined the UT Foundation following the merger of the university and former Medical University of Ohio.
“The foundation’s sole mission is to utilize investment dollars to generate a return for the university and improve the overall experience for students, to help with recruitment and retention. Students look at the overall experience at the university,” Schroeder said.
‘Academic superstore’
Students may not recognize the former UT Bookstore in its new home under the Barnes & Noble banner. However, Barnes & Noble has operated the university bookstore for more than 20 years according to Strayer, a UT graduate.
“We wanted people to feel like they’re walking into a Barnes & Noble store. We call it an academic superstore,” Strayer said.
Customers will recognize the typical bookstore displays with plenty of additional features, including a full-service cafe selling Starbucks products.
A convenience area will offer drinks, snacks, health and beauty aids for sale. The snack area includes plenty of seating and Wi-Fi connections so students can plug in their computers, Strayer said.
The bookstore and cafe are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Gateway Project development includes 50,000 square feet of commercial space. Barnes & Noble occupies 18,300 square feet on two floors, leaving an additional 22,000 square feet of first-floor retail space.
Other tenants at Gateway include a Great Clips salon and Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, scheduled to open in mid-August.
Yogurt U and a Wireless Zone for Verizon are expected to open in early August with a new Rice Boulevard sushi shop later this month.
Gradkowski’s Sports Grille, a sports bar and restaurant owned by
former Toledo Rocket and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, is expected to open in time for the first home football game against Bowling Green on Sept. 15, Schroeder said.
