CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new drive-thru Starbucks in Charleston will open its doors to the public at 5:30 a.m. Friday.
Coffee lovers will be able to grab a cup of joe at the new facility located next to the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel along the Kanawha Boulevard.
“We’re so excited about this,” said Victor Urecki, rabbi at the B’nai Jacob Synagogue in Charleston, as he sat inside the new coffee shop Thursday afternoon with his wife.
Employees hosted a Friends and Family event for frequent customers before Opening Day.
“It’s a great feeling, especially here in Charelston. The baristas and the manager — they’re typical West Virginians. They’re friendly and warm and the coffee is great,” Urecki said.
The space includes an indoor and outdoor seating area. Urecki likes the drive-thru option the best.
“When we’re in a rush, it’s nice to be able to go through the drive-thru,” he said.
The free standing cafe is just down the road from another Starbucks located in the middle of Charleston Town Center Mall.
“We went to the grand opening at the Town Center,” Urecki told MetroNews. “I think we were like the fourth or fifth customer and we’ve just been dreaming for a free standing Starbucks.”
Some baristas who worked at the Town Center location will be moving over to work at the new facility.
The building, which was developed last summer by Charlie Wendell, was designed to draw traffic off the Virginia Street exit of Interstate 64.
There are also Starbucks locations inside the Target on Corridor G, inside Thomas Memorial Hospital and inside the Courtyard by Marriott.
Ted Lawson, president and CEO of National Travel, said the new establishment will boost the local economy, especially during events in town.
“I’m in hopes that they stay open at night long enough to come from the Symphony, or places like that, then they can come here for an evening coffee,” Lawson said.
A grande latte is what Lawson typically orders. So does Urecki.
“Generally I get the lattes, but whenever they experiment with a new one, we’ll do a new one,” Urecki said.
A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for Mar. 17 at 10:30 a.m.