A Starbucks closes, but another one opens nearby

LAKE WORTH — Elanie Thompson McCarthy used to visit the Starbucks on Lake Avenue a couple of times a week, but she doubts she’ll ever cross North Dixie Highway to visit the new one opening Friday at 5 a.m.

“I wish they could leave both,” she said. “But now I’ll start patronizing our local independent coffee shops so it’s actually a good thing.”

After several years in business, the old Starbucks at 514 Lake Avenue closed on Monday, making way for a larger site at Downtown Lake Worth, a $2 million shopping plaza that recently opened on North Dixie Highway and 2nd Avenue North.

While some won’t be willing to adjust their daily coffee routine, many are excited about it.

“I think it’s gonna be terrific,” said Norman Weinstein, president of Stateside Partners, the Boca Raton company that built the center. “It’s a sleek and modern store and will provide a lot of indoor and outdoor space for people to meet and greet.”

The site also has T-Mobile, which opened this month. A nail spa and Dr. G’s Urgent Care will open soon, Weinstein said.

The new Starbucks features a drive-through, which some residents believe may cause some traffic problems.

No one from Starbucks responded to a Palm Beach Post request for comment.

Weinstein, however, isn’t worried.

“The drive-through will accommodate people coming off Dixie Highway and will keep them from looking for a parking space downtown,” he said. “They won’t have to stop to get out of their car.”

Bob D’Arinzo, a broker associate with Re/Max Prestige Realty in Lake Worth, said he’s not a Starbucks person.

“None of us go there,” he said. “I make coffee at the office. Anybody who is used to Starbucks will go to Book Cellar or Common Ground.”

Chris Fleming, a senior broker with Strategic Realty Services, said losing a national brand on Lake Avenue will have a temporary impact on downtown. “But that can be made up really quickly if we get somebody to fill that spot,” he said. “I don’t know if it was the right move or not, but Starbucks tend to know what they’re doing.”