Starbucks expected to open this month

Published 5:27 pm Friday, November 20, 2020

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Farmville residents could have a brand new Starbucks — and the only stand-alone Starbucks in the area with a drive-thru — to patronize as early as this week.

Work being done to convert the BP gas station at 2003 S. Main St. in Farmville into a new Starbucks location has reached its final stages.

Will Allen, of Harper Associates, represents the owner of the property and shared the approximate timetable for the start of business.

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“The owner understands from Starbucks that it intends to open the new drive-thru location on or about Nov. 30, and it could be as early as Black Friday, (Nov. 27,) depending on final inspections and construction close-out,” he said Friday, Nov. 20.

A worker at the location Friday speculated there could even be a soft opening happening as early as Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Allen explained that Harper Associates handled the conversion of the location from a gas station, redoing the core and shell. Then the company turned it over to Starbucks to do the rest.

He said the conversion process, which he estimated as having begun in March, was fairly smooth.

“It was, except for COVID and a few little hurdles and bumps with material delays, but for the most part, this was the date they were always tracking — kind of a late fall,” he said.

He noted Friday that there were some final touch-ups to be done here and there at the location, but nothing that somebody would necessarily pick up on if they looked at the building.

“We appreciate all the interest we’ve received from the community and all the help and support from the town through the entire process,” he said.