What’s the reason behind the closure of one of Texas’ earliest Starbucks locations after three decades?

After three decades of service, the Starbucks outlet in Highland Park Village, one of Texas’ earliest locations, is bidding farewell to its spot.

“Starbucks is shifting its focus,” noted Lauren Drewes Daniels, food editor at Dallas Observer. “The company is aiming for increased output and throughput, seeking to move more customers through the doors quickly, particularly via drive-through services.”

This shift aligns with the preferences of 54% of coffee consumers in the United States, who favor drive-thru coffee for its convenience, according to research conducted in 2023 by Allegra World Coffee Portal.

“People’s time priorities have evolved,” remarked UT Marketing Professor Raji Srinivasan. “Given the high costs of retail locations, labor expenses, and related challenges with unionization, it makes sense for both customers and companies to emphasize sales through to-go and mobile orders over in-store seating.”

While societal trends may be changing, this Starbucks location will always hold significance as one of the pioneers of a new coffeehouse culture during its 30 years of operation.

“I recall the early days when people first started drinking Starbucks,” reflected Daniels. “We thought, ‘this tastes like burnt coffee.’ Now, it has become the standard for coffee flavor that we all have grown accustomed to.”