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Starbucks' first drive-thru-only store may spell the end of coffee shops as we know them. Starbucks launched a growth goal last year at its annual investor event, and the new Tucson outlet is part of it.
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The drive-thru-only Starbucks on Tucson's west side is the first of three planned for the wider Tucson area, including a midtown facility.
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Starbucks' new focus on drive-thru-only locations, part of its "reinvention," is a response to changing consumer behavior, including app-based ordering and a post-Covid social distancing mindset that continues to drive grab-and-go traffic.
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Last September, the former Starbucks COO summarized the transition. Existing stores were created for a different time, therefore Starbucks must shift its focus to fulfill customer expectations.
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Starbucks' acceptance of drive-through traffic contrasts with its former ambition of becoming a "third place," an industry phrase for a social meeting location between home and business.
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Starbucks opened 86% of its 450 new shops with drive-thru windows in 2022. Only 2% of Starbucks' 2,000 planned openings between 2023 and 2025 will be cafés, while 35% will be drive-thrus. The rest will be delivery or pick-up only.
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An analyst with Motley Fool, Emily Flippen, told Seattle Times that time will tell if Starbucks can pivot without compromising quality or its position as a premium brand worth the extra cost compared to Dunkin' and McDonald's.
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However, if all goes well, Tucson's drive-thru-only Starbucks will be the first of many as Starbucks strives to open 55,000 outlets worldwide by 2030.
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