Famed Author Nelson DeMille Cuts Ribbon At New LI Barnes & Noble

RIVERHEAD, NY — A long line of excited patrons waited for more than an hour in Riverhead Wednesday for a moment many said they'd long 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 store's first day. "I'm getting a bookstore in town, a mile from my house!" she said. "I'm happy."

Marilyn Banks-Winter was also thrilled. "I love the fact that we have a business 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 bookseller. A librarian at Brookhaven National Laboratory and a former Riverhead Free Library trustee, 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 to celebrate the grand opening. "We're excited to be opening the first new Barnes & Noble on Long Island in 14 years," she said, also thanking her booksellers whose "hard work, dedication, and effort have really put this store together and allowed today to happen."

She then introduced DeMille, to loud cheers and applause.

DeMille, who lives in Garden City, said it was his second time cutting a ribbon at a Long Island Barnes & Noble — the first was 14 years ago in Carle Place.

"This is a great addition to the community," DeMille said. "I know the community is going to support this place. It's a beautiful store — one of the best I've ever seen."

The crowd seemed to agree, waiting patiently on a long line to have DeMille's new book, "The Maze," signed and also, browsing happily through the many offerings on display at the new bookstore.

The book, No. 8 in the John Corey series, follows the now-retired NYPD homicide detective John Corey, Barnes & Noble said. DeMille has written a string of best-selling action, adventure, and suspense novels, with many, including "Plum Island," set on Long Island.

As they waited in line, fans of DeMille buzzed about which books they'd read and liked best, exclaiming excitedly as they got closer to the signing table. Many agreed, too, with a common refrain: "It's so nice to be here, celebrating books again," one man said.

Speaking with Patch, DeMille said: "I love meeting my fans. I'm on book tour right now, and I've been all over the country meeting fans. Now, I'm back home on Long Island, this is where I live — and it's nice seeing 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, in front of The Home Depot and Shop Rite, near DSW in the storefront recently vacated by Pier 1 Imports.

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

“It has been a long time since Riverhead has enjoyed having its own bookstore and we are delighted to be opening one again,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “The wonderful bookselling team of Riverhead, led by store manager Sarah deQuillfeldt, has been hard at work getting their new store ready for the holiday season. Building a roster of book signings, author events and story times catered to the community has been a top priority for this experienced team of booksellers.”

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

“When Borders closed their doors in Riverhead in 2011, they left a void that was felt by many local readers. Customers have been vocal about their desire for a Barnes & Noble to open in Riverhead and I am just so happy to be able to give our neighbors what they have been asking for,” said deQuillfeldt. “Our team is all local to Long Island and we have been eagerly stocking our bookshelves with the books we know our community will love. I cannot wait to open our doors and welcome everyone in.”

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar was pleased by the news. "There is a great amount of excitement here in Riverhead at the prospect of Barnes & Noble opening on Route 58. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people turned to reading physical books. The prospect of having a Fortune 500 company here in Riverhead is huge. Undoubtedly, they conducted a costly market analysis and found a home here in Riverhead. We welcome Barnes & Noble to Riverhead."

For a number of years, the future for bookstores, and books in general, seemed bleak. According to a report by Publisher's Weekly, between 1991 and 2011, the nation lost more than 1,000 chain bookstore outlets. During that same time period, the post states, Barnes & Noble had only two fewer locations.

According to a recent report by Publisher's Weekly, Barnes & Nobles CEO Daunt used the pandemic pause to refurbish many locations; a look at recent media releases from the bookseller shows many across the nation are re-opening, and new stores "in decent numbers" are planned for 2022, according to Publisher's Weekly.