Come February, an iconic Starbucks location will be closing its doors for good in Highland Park Village after almost 30 years.
The lease of the only free-standing Starbucks in Highland Park Village runs out next year, with executives of the luxury shopping center opting not to renew the coffeeshop’s lease due to shifts in the coffee company’s M.O.
Responding to changing consumer habits and a desire to increase foot traffic, Starbucks has recently shifted to focusing on its to-go and mobile clientele rather than sit-in guests.
For instance, last year, it invested $450 million in automation equipment to reduce the average time it takes to make drinks, as covered by The Dallas Express.
“It’s not conducive to our shopping environment. It’s not a right fit for us,” explained Victoria Snee, Highland Park Village’s chief marketing officer, according to The Dallas Morning News.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Highland Park Village has catered to luxury shoppers since opening in 1931. Starbucks set up shop in 1994,
It recently welcomed several new designer shops, including the French designer label Balmain, the Italian bespoke menswear brand Brioni, the Spanish fashion house Loewe, and the contemporary Californian studio Simkhai.
Christian Dior is currently remodeling the space left by Ralph Lauren, which will further cement the mall’s reputation as the go-to place for high-end offerings.
Snee told the DMN that no plans have been made yet as to what will occupy the 2,500-square-foot spot leased by Starbucks on the interior corner of level three of HP Village after February.
In the meantime, she reassured customers that there were other options for coffee onsite.
“We have two other good coffee options, Bird Bakery and Sadelle’s,” she said.
Otherwise, Starbucks lovers won’t have to travel far to get their fix, with several nearby locations in University Park, Oak Lawn, Knox Street, and Greenway Parks.
Nonetheless, the HP Village location holds special significance as one of the first footsteps taken by the Seattle-based coffee shop in Texas three decades ago.
