It’s official: New Starbucks coming to downtown Fresno. Here’s the timeline for opening
Construction has started on downtown Fresno’s newest Starbucks.
The coffee giant is building a new location on Tulare Street, near the Grocery Outlet on R Street.
It’s on the site of the former El Torito, the Mexican restaurant that was torn down last year.
The location is slated to open in spring 2024, a Starbucks representative told The Bee via email.
It will employ 25 people.
According to permit applications with the City of Fresno, the coffee shop will have a 2,406-square-foot building, a drive-thru and a patio.
Downtown Fresno already has three existing Starbucks locations: at Kern and N streets, Tulare Avenue and First Street, and Divisadero and U Street. The last one is three-tenths of a mile away from the one under construction.
In recent years, Starbucks has been focusing on its drive-thru business, often closing locations without a drive-thru after opening a new drive-thru nearby.
Starbucks did not respond to a question about whether the Kern Street location — which does not have a drive-thru — would remain open.
Last year, a city spokeswoman said it appeared the Starbucks on Divisadero would remain open.
Starbucks is in the process of opening at least eight new locations in Fresno and Clovis.
This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 12:42 PM.
