Starbucks at Grand Parkway Marketplace

Back when I was in graduate school my wife and I were living pretty frugally.  "Date night" was a mocha frappucino at the Starbucks inside the Barnes and Noble.  It was a happening place, we'd see lots of other students and faculty there.  I am no longer a regular at Starbucks, but going there brings back good memories so I decided to return. There are three Starbucks in our neighborhood, not counting the two inside other stores.  Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting all three.

As it happens, I started with the very newest one--it's only been open for a few days.  I thought it had been there longer as it was on Google Maps as a planned location for several months, but at the wrong address.  But they have put up signs and people seemed to be finding it.  A major difference from my grad school days is that Starbucks has branched out significantly beyond coffee and pastry.  I had a turkey with tomato and pesto sandwich (warmed in the microwave), some chips and a mocha frappucino, my drink of choice in the past.

I would have to say the place is absolutely ready to go.  The furniture is comfortable enough to sit at all day, and the place was well staffed with people who seemed to know what to do.  Service was zealously friendly, not surprising given their recent challenges, but they really did do a nice job.  The patio is attractively set up, but the construction in the area deterred me from sitting outside.  I had a nice chat with the manager, who had his very darling baby girl with him for a visit while I was there.

You go to Starbucks for the coffee drinks--it's nice that they now have full meal options but the sandwich wasn't super amazing.  Competent, but about what you would expect from a packaged, microwaved sandwich.  The mocha frappucino was perfectly executed and just as I remembered. They have some interesting "protein box" lunches that I have had in the past and will try again, and breakfast sandwiches as well.

Online reviews say the 2920 location near Lowe's gets too busy on Saturday mornings.  This new place is ready to take up some of the load, and will likely do well with all the growth in the area.

My Yelp Review