New Starbucks concept to open in historic Fort Worth fire station
June 21,2021
See full CultureMap article by Teresa Gubbins here.
There's a new Starbucks opening in a historic building in downtown Fort Worth: Fire Station No. 1, located at 203 Commerce St., which proudly served the City of Fort Worth for 114 years, will become a newfangled Starbucks Pickup store, designated for coffee to-go.
According to a release, it will open in the fall.
Starbucks Pickup stores are designed for customers on-the-go who order and pay ahead using the Starbucks app, then pick up their order on their way to their destination. The first Starbucks Pickup store opened in New York City in November 2019.
In June 2020, Starbucks announced plans to accelerate the opening of more than 50 of these stores by the end of the year.
Sandwiched between the Wells Fargo and Bank of America towers, the fire station was designed by Sanguinet & Staats and housed the original City Hall, with the Mayor’s office located on the second floor. In 1980, the building received a restoration, that included polishing up its beautiful brick façade.
"One of the best things about working in downtown Fort Worth is the blending of the historic with modern amenities," says Johnny Campbell, President and CEO of City Center Management, in a release. "This contrast between the old and the new are what makes downtown so unique. At City Center, we enjoy all the conveniences of working in contemporary buildings, but we’re mere steps away from historic buildings. And they’ve been well maintained to operate in our modern world."
The Starbucks will be located on the ground floor. The second floor is home to 203 Café, which offers fast casual breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, along with catering to downtown businesses. It opened in 2017 and is also has a to-go theme, designed for workers on the go, offering complimentary delivery to the buildings in City Center, as well as throughout downtown Fort Worth.
Mike Micallef, owner and president of Reata Restaurant Group, says in a statement that "the addition of 203 Café to Fire Station No. 1 has been very well received and our signature sandwiches are a huge hit."
Locations Mentioned: Bank of America Tower, Reata Restaurant, Wells Fargo