The new Starbucks Coffee shop at the corner of Rush and Hamilton roads in Napavine is seen Wednesday. Company representatives say the shop will open at 4 a.m. Friday, bringing perhaps Washington's most popular coffee chain further south on Interstate 5 in Lewis County.
The newest Starbucks store to call Lewis County home will open bright and early Friday morning in Napavine.
Starbucks district manager Jaina Cunningham confirmed to The Chronicle Wednesday that the new Starbucks location at the intersection of Rush and Hamilton roads will open promptly at 4 a.m. Friday, becoming the latest addition to Lewis County’s long list of coffee offerings.
The new Starbucks location features a drive-through and was built on a 3,500-square-foot lot in an area city officials have long hoped would be a prime retail and service location. Cunningham wasn’t able Wednesday afternoon to provide more detailed information about the store’s opening, citing the need to get in touch with company officials before releasing further details.
A Starbucks spokesperson emailed from Starbucks’ media relations account and stated the store would offer free wi-fi internet access as well as La Boulange food, which is Starbucks’ new food line it serves at stores throughout the Northwest, parts of California and several other large cities in the United States.
Napavine city officials say they are excited about the development in the south part of town that welcomed Love’s Truck Stops and Travel Centers in 2011. Now one of the most recognizable coffee brands in the world has come to Napavine, becoming another reason for travelers to stop off the Rush Road exit for a spell.
“I’ve been anxious for it. It’s new business and I’m glad to see one in Napavine,” city councilor Bob Wheeler said.
Officials have been hoping the Rush and Hamilton Road area can sustain future development, and indications are positive. Love’s opened in 2011, bringing with it Lewis County’s first Carl’s Jr. fast-food restaurant. Coldwell Banker Commercial is seeking a buyer for an 11-acre property for $5.06 million just behind Love’s along Rush Road, and has also listed land just south of the new Starbucks for lease.
As for waking up at 4 a.m. to hit up the new Starbucks, Wheeler — who says he was the first to pump gas at Love’s when it opened in Napavine — will stand aside and let someone else lay claim to that title.
“I was the first at Love’s, but 4 a.m. might just be a bit too early for me to try to be the first at Starbucks,” Wheeler laughed.
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Christopher Brewer: (360) 807-8235
