Victor Ortega BROWNSVILLE – After a Barnes & Noble opened in Brownsville 6 months ago, owner of a local bookstore shared the highs and lows of his business since Nov. 13.
According to a post from the City of Brownsville’s Instagram, large crowds gathered to welcome the retail giant with a celebration that included a ribbon cutting.
Meanwhile downtown, Buho continued to sell not only the latest releases, but also second hand and antique books since its opening in 2023.
Gilbert Hernandez, Buho owner, said sales are better than ever now that another bookstore is in town.
“Buho surprisingly enough has done better,” Hernandez said. “In Buho’s case, sales have actually soared since Barnes & Noble opened.”
Hernandez said he believes locals have started their reading journey with Barnes & Noble before exploring more options and going to Buho.
He also added that he thinks this may be the reason why their sales briefly dropped during Jan. 2026 before bouncing back.
“In previous January’s, we’re getting all of the people that are choosing reading as a New Year’s resolution. And if think about it, if you’re a new reader in Brownsville, where are you going to go first?” Hernandez said.
Hernandez announced the addition of a coffee bar to his bookstore and noted that its drink selection will feature a major item that Barnes & Noble’s Starbucks does not offer.
“We have wine,” he said.
He added the coffee bar is one permit away from the city’s health department to officially open.
