This major chain is opening in a prime downtown Modesto spot to welcome many to city
Welcome to Modesto, how do you take your coffee?
Soon, one the city’s most prominent downtown corners will be home to one of the most well-known coffee chains in the whole universe. Yes, Starbucks is coming back to the heart of downtown Modesto, at the intersection of Ninth and J streets.
The new cafe is currently under construction in the former site of Skewers Kabob House (which moved a couple blocks away to L Street in 2018). Those with long-range memories will also remember the spot as the former home to Lotus Restaurant, a long-running and beloved Chinese eatery.
The old building, which was largely operating as a banquet hall in recent years, has been torn down to make way for the new Starbucks. The new standalone building will have a drive-thru and outdoor seating area, and according to a Starbucks spokesperson, should open by spring 2021.
Its location is in a prime spot across from what will soon be the new ACE train depot, as plans were approved this fall to renovate the existing historic Southern Pacific Railroad station. The hope is to have the station ready for passengers by summer 2022. Once completed, that will mean that the new Starbucks will be one of the first things many visitors see when disembarking in our city.
For that reason, the Downtown Modesto Partnership helped work with the city and the developer to make the new coffee shop as appealing as possible.
City, developer made Starbucks plans pedestrian friendly
So instead of the standard Starbucks suburban design, where customers enter would enter off the parking lot — which would then position the drive-thru along J Street — customers will instead be able to walk in from J and the drive-in will face the alley between buildings.
“People will come out of front doors and look down J Street now. We wanted to have it interact appropriately with J Street to carry human rhythm and vibrancy,” said DoMo Partnership CEO Josh Bridegroom.
Cars will still be able to enter the new Starbucks from Ninth Street, much like neighboring McDonald’s.
The project is from developer Mike Singelyn, who has completed several Starbucks throughout the valley, according to Modesto Director of Community & Economic Development Jaylen French, who called him a “preferred developer for Starbucks and other brands.” The store will ultimately be owned by Starbucks corporate.
Starbucks confirmed the new location as well, saying through an email from a spokesperson that the company “is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers, and we are happy to confirm that we will be opening a new location in Modesto, CA this spring.”
Now those of you with medium-range memories will likely recall there was a Starbucks already in the heart of downtown Modesto. It was on the corner of 10th and K streets, next to the Brenden Theatres and across from the DoubleTree Hotel.
That Starbucks opened in 1999, the same year as the then new Brenden cineplex. But for the last decade or so the space has been empty and has remained vacant since Starbucks abandoned the location as it switched its model from walk-up shops to drive-thru shops. And, boy, has that strategy paid off for them because if there’s one things Americans love doing it’s getting coffee in their cars.
And, yes, I know there’s a Starbucks on H Street already in the Smart & Final shopping center. But it’s all the way on the other end of downtown. Remember what I said about America’s love of coffee and cars?
So it might not seem like such a big deal on its surface that another location for the ubiquitous coffee chain is opening in town. But for the heart downtown Modesto, which is largely made up of small, locally owned businesses (save for a few big fast-food giants around its outer edges ), it’ll be quite something to have Starbucks back among its ranks. Plus, the downtown has quite a few great indie coffee shops that put out a darn good cup of joe as well. So, one lump or two, Modesto?
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
