From the Article: The Business Times reported earlier this month that Barnes & Noble was scouting locations for a return to San Francisco, and we spotted a potential confirmation of that news in Union Square this week.
While on a break, a Business Times staff member saw Mayor Daniel Lurie circled up in front of the Flood Building on Market Street with a group, one of whom looked a lot like Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. Daunt, identifiable with a tie he commonly wears and a burgundy Barnes & Noble tote bag, confirmed his San Francisco visit to the Business Times in an email, and wrote he was "successfully impressed upon of the vigor with which the city is rebounding."
Sources recently told the Business Times that Barnes & Noble is among the large national retail chains that have been exploring large store spaces in the downtown shopping destination. Others include Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.