Coffee chain lodges plans for drive-thru at superstore
COFFEE chain Starbucks wants to open a drive-thru at a Carmarthen supermarket.
Plans have been lodged for the coffee shop at Morrisons in Pensarn.
It would be situated within an area of the carpark that is under used by customers.
The coffee shop would have seating and vehicle access for the ‘drive-thru’ element.
It would be the town’s first drive-thru coffee shop but Starbucks already has an outlet at the town’s Trinity Saint David University campus.
A planning report by agents ELG Town Planning on behalf of Morrisons, who is making the application, states: “There are a number of traditional high street café and coffee shop outlets within Carmarthen town centre, including national operators such as Costa and Caffe Nero. However, there are currently no drive-thru coffee outlets within the town.”
The application argues the drive-thru would not have an impact on Carmarthen’s town centre coffee shops.
Adding: “The proposed drive-thru unit will primarily serve existing shoppers within the Pensarn Retail Park, employees and passing motorists on the A40 and A48.
“Such uses are now a common feature on established retail parks.
“The proposed drivethru unit will therefore complement rather than compete with town centre café and restaurant uses and there are numerous examples throughout the UK where national café and restaurant operators have both a high street presence and out-of-centre drive-thru unit.
“On this basis, it is evident that the proposed drive-thru unit would not have an unacceptable impact on the vitality of Carmarthen town centre.”
The application is expected to be discussed by the Carmarthenshire Council planning committee in the near future.
The plans come just weeks after a major multimillion pound revamp.
The new-look store includes new cookery and home departments, new pharmacy and improved bakery, butchery and cake shop.
The car park has also been resurfaced.