There were rumors spread around town that there was a new Starbucks opening up in West Caldwell. It was shared that there was going to be a drive-thru opening up as well. After a few years of this rumor, it became a fact. The move was approved in June 2022. The town decided to make the abandoned bank on the opposite side of the plaza in which the current Starbucks is located, and turn it into a new renovated Starbucks. This left many individuals in shock.
I asked students in my school how they felt about the location of the Starbucks. It was a very controversial outcome, but many had felt that the drive-thru would cause tons of traffic due to the location being right near the exit of the plaza. This is a main exit that leads to Bloomfield Ave.
Starbucks is highly popular in West Caldwell, especially with the younger generation. Many students feel that the drive-thru line will constantly be backed up into the parking lot which will be a huge safety hazard for pedestrians and cause tons of traffic for the cars entering and exiting the lot. We are all wondering what the motivation behind this move was, being that it was moved just a minute away from the current location. No one has ever been bothered by the fact that there is no drive-thru, so why the move?
It was shared on different town news sources that it is being relocated to a less crowded corner. On the Patch, Caren Lissner shared on June 16, 2022 the thoughts behind the move and facts from what the board claimed during different meetings. This has been a thought for over a year but was never executed until recently. The townspeople watched as they built the drive-thru and wondered if this truly was going to be a beneficial move for the town or not. It was spread that Starbucks will be opening in the next two weeks, so the only thing we can do is hope that this will be beneficial like it is supposed to be.
Source:
https://patch.com/new-jersey/livingston/starbucks-essex-county-will-relocate-less-crowded-location
