Barnes & Noble @ IUPUI Bookstore

Like other reviews on here, if you’re going for Starbucks– just go to a near by Starbucks that is licensed. I get they don’t have everything a licensed store has, but every morning I go in there they look so confused & watching them make people’s drink is frustrating, coming from a barista who works at a licensed store so I may be a little bias hehe. They screw you over, can never get your order right and literally don’t have the slightest clue how to make drinks. If you’re getting black coffee, they can’t really mess that up. But don’t have high expectations for anything more complicated than black coffee and spend your precious money elsewhere.

Gotta love the IUPUI B&N! The lower floor has textbooks but up above there is clothing, typical B&N books (including the discount books) so you can enjoy nonfiction, fiction… even graphic novels!
There’s a B&N café as well. They have your standard Starbucks items (but not everything — Barnes & Noble Starbucks are different when it comes to some items. Your Starbucks gift card won’t work here and some of the fancy items aren’t sold here. However, the snacks/​lunches are good. There’s personal pizzas, bagels, Cheesecake Factory items, and then a rack of snacks/​treats. I love the feta stuffed pretzels. Check out their specials as well. They’ll change, but some current examples are $ 4 for an any-​size ice coffee or iced tea + pretzel/​bagel; Thursdays are half-​off pizzas, and one day a week the sandwiches are half-​off as well.
I also appreciate that the bookstore supports the campus community. The manager is very supportive of Paws Pantry and other philanthropic activities. At first when I came to campus I winced at another corporation clawing into a university campus… so it’s good that the bookstore is supportive of students.
Also, the textbooks are fair priced. Textbooks are just so expensive in general because the publishing companies are awful, and then force bookstores to pay top dollar as well. Sigh.
Location: B&N is located in the Campus Center and if you’re visiting campus, you’ll need a parking pass or park in the Vermont Street Garage. The latter is an expensive option, so…

Awful quality of service. Expensive textbooks. Not so great starbucks.

Honestly guys if you’re here for Starbucks, just walk 15 minutes down university blvd to the store on 10^th street. This isn’t a real starbucks in many ways.
One time I was here in the summer, ordering a green tea frap. The cashier told me they didn’t make green tea frappé. But then the barista came in and said «we do make it actually if you want». I should have sensed something was off. After receiving my coffee I had to run to class right away. When I took my first sip… It was horrible. It doesn’t taste like the normal green tea frap I’ve had in other Starbucks. It was watery and looks like a brown-​oak green color, when comparing to the normal, vibrant-​green color a normal green tea frap would have. And the worst part? It splits! I thought a frappuccino is supposed to be a smoothie like blended drink. And oh how I was wrong. Basically my green tea frap was just an iced green tea-​infused milk. That’s like the nicest way to put it. I ended up throwing it away on my way to class. I was in a hurry so I couldn’t come back to the store to get another one or my refund back…
Also, they don’t serve short size, for all of you espresso snobs out there. I came ther ordering a short cappuccino and they have me a tall. The cashier didn’t even know other Starbucks serve short cups. Oh well. This is epic.

There are really 3 parts to this place. Downstairs is an area where students can find all of their textbooks and school supplies. It is laid out very clearly for easy navigation, and there are always plenty of staff members eager to help. Upstairs is set up as you would expect a B&N to be, with all kinds of books organized into their respective sections. In general, it is a very nice bookstore. There is also the café, which is probably my favorite spot to get lunch and/​or do homework on campus. It is well lit, relaxed, and always pretty quiet. The café serves Starbucks coffee, coffee drinks (lattes/​frappaccinos/​etc.), soft drinks, Harney & Sons teas (it used to be Republic of Tea teas, but they recently switched providers… sad day), Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, pastries, sandwichies, soups, and snacks. The prices are decent, when compared to other meal options on campus, and there are daily specials. It can be very crowded, with a morning rush and lunch rush, but the service is always very good and quick. This is my go-​to spot, whenever I have time to kill on campus.

I’ve had two bad experiences here. The personnel offer terrible customer service. They also aren’t upfront with you about their return policies. Buying textbooks here is very much a ripoff.
The only good thing that it still looks relatively new and has many items to offer.

You just gotta love going to a college bookstore. this double decker B&N gets the thinking juices flowing the moment you cross over from the student union. My only complaint is that the IUPUI website CAN be misleading. I came over to pick up a book the site said was in stock. I get there to learn that it’s «available» but that doesn’t mean «in inventory.»
Other than that one kerfuffle, it’s been everything I’ve expected it to be.

This is a full-​on bookstore. This isn’t the campus version of a bookstore (well, it’s that but it’s much more). Almost the entire first floor is a regular Barnes & Noble. They were the only location downtown that I found moleskine products at: they even have the nische moleskines of wellness & travel journals. They had other journals, too. This store has all the regular sections of a book store, and an extensive «bargain bin.» There is metered parking open to the public that’s available in the lot South of the store on University Blvd.
There’s a terrific hodge podge collection of orange chairs just outside the store to sit and read or meet for meetings.
Immerse yourself amidst students. They’ll make you feel young. Or, well, old in the good way.
Read on.

I come here for the Starbucks Coffee. I wish they took my Starbucks Gift card, but they don’t. I understand, this is NOT a Starbucks, it is a B&N Café serving Starbucks.

Spacious!!! with a little bit of Everything, Books, Bags (even IUPUI «Green» ones), a couple of comfortable seating areas, kids books, & even snacks
the line near ends
i Hate when college students point & laugh???

A brilliant combination this college textbook/​fun book store! The concept makes me think of an 80’s mullet haircut — only here it’s business in the basement and party upstairs. Well, if you don’t care to read — be it for pleasure or class — then, I guess this wouldn’t be your kind of place.
In all seriousness, I have enjoyed buying my textbooks here much more than I ever did when the Jags bookstore was across the street in Cavanaugh Hall. Textbooks are more neatly arranged, there is more space to move around and for some reason, it seems that the staff is more helpful. I guess the new space makes everybody more at ease.
Instead of smelling like old library, the new campus center has the pleasant of coffee wafting through its space — thanks to the de rigeur B&N Café on the main floor.
I — but not my wallet — love having the ability to buy at least one or two books I don’t need while picking up those I do. Not to mention a few brightly colored accessories, notebooks, and such. Case in point: I needed one — count ‘em, one! — textbook for my Thursday class. I came away from B&N with the textbook of course… accompanied by four of those expensive pop-​up greeting cards (because they had lotus flowers and dragonflies on them) and a «mandalas of the world» coloring book (stress relief). I did, however, manage to avoid an impulse-​buy latte at the café on the way out!