It will be great to again have a real bookstore in Brea. Several years ago there were five bookstores all at one time in Brea, but they slowly went away and then we had none.
Many of us have gotten used to downloading books onto our Kindles or Nooks, which is a good way to read a book. Nothing, however, replaces cruising around stacks of books at a real bookstore, thumbing through the tomes that catch your eye. And ending up buying one or a few.
That is something folks in Brea haven’t been able to do for several years.
We will soon again have that opportunity. On Nov. 5, Barnes & Noble will open its new store in the Brea Plaza, at Imperial Highway and Associated Road.
According to Waad Nadhir, principal with BOSC Realty Advisors, owners of the Brea Plaza, the 16,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble Bookstore will occupy the first level in the new, two-story building on the north side of the shopping center.
The Grand Salon and Ajliss Medical Aethics are relocating to the new building and are expected to open around the same time on the second floor of the building. A staircase and elevator will take their patrons to their new locations.
Another new business recently opened in the Brea Plaza is Ubatuba Acai, where you’ll find Brazilian acai bowls, empanadas, smoothies and much more to please your taste buds.
The Brea Plaza just seems to get better and better, a lot like Brea Downtown, where the former Regal movie theatre on Birch Street that became a church is morphing once again. But this time it is transforming into a Main Event entertainment center, a Dave and Buster’s sister company.
Main Event will definitely mean fun times for families, kids and adults of all ages with arcades, bowling, billiards, escape rooms, a restaurant and much more. It is expect to open sometime in the coming year.
What a tremendous addition to the downtown and for that spot. It’s gone from a multi-plex movie house to a church to a supersized entertainment center. It sounds like really good recycling of the former movie house.
So much better than a building remaining vacant year after year, like we have seen in other places.
Brea is definitely where to be if you are hungry. From fast food to fine dining, you can find it in Brea. Soon, there will be even more dining choices in our city.
Bushfire Kitchen will be opening soon, we hope, in the Brea Marketplace on Birch Street, across from the Brea Civic and Cultural Center. It will be in the spot that formerly housed Rubio’s Coastal Grill.
Over on Brea Boulevard, the former Buffalo Wild Wings location is being transformed into a Benihana restaurant with its fantastic Japanese cuisine.
Our ever-expanding Brea Mall has several new eateries, with more to come. And more new stores, plus some favorites that are relocating, such as the expanded Pottery Barn with an outdoor entrance. And Williams Sonoma is coming back to Brea Mall, and locating near Pottery Barn.
We are so fortunate that the Brea Mall is being updated and expanded while so many other malls have closed down and now look like ghost towns. Or they are transformed into apartment complexes.
As usual, there’s much going on in Brea that keeps it a thriving, vibrant city with lots of amenities we all can enjoy.
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at daxoncomm@gmail.com.