Thursday, January 16, 2025
A Starbucks is officially coming to Gatesville.
The City of Gatesville announced on their Facebook page that a Starbucks drive-thru and coffee shop will be built off the State Highway 36 bypass near the Allsup’s Convenience Store and Gas Station. The driveway will connect to the store’s southwest entrance.
The city said construction for the business will begin in the next few days. The opening date for the coffee shop has not yet been determined.
“The announcement of the Starbucks location represents an early milestone in our efforts,” City Manager Brad Hunt said in a statement. “We are proud that this company sees our city as a thriving and viable retail location.”
Hunt said that he has worked with City Secretary Holly Owens to ensure the city attracts residential and commercial entities that improve the Gatesville quality of life while also meeting the goals outlined in the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan.
“Since I started my tenure as city manager, my guidance to city staff is that we find ways to say ‘yes’ to development proposals, but only after carefully analyzing and addressing any attending zoning, wastewater, water, city services, and roadway needs,” Hunt said.
As a recognized national retailer, Hunt adds that a Starbucks can serve as a springboard to the establishment of other types of businesses in town, including quick food services, sit-down restaurants, dry goods/hardware retailers, among others.
Several users reacted to the city’s social media post about the announcement. While some viewed it as a great opportunity for the city’s growth and development, some also expressed frustration that the city has not highlighted more local businesses.
In the post’s comment section, one user even noted concern that a larger corporation might affect the city’s smaller businesses.
“It is important that our development efforts do not downplay our local small businesses, which are the heart of our town,” Hunt said. “It has been rightly pointed out that we can do better in highlighting and publicizing them, so we will work to improve in this area.”
Gatesville is home to two local coffee shops, The Caffeinated Baker and The Green Rooster. Coryell Health also opened a We Proudly Serve Starbucks café in the hospital lobby last month, which serves Starbucks beverages but exists independently of Starbucks Coffee Company.
“We have a great relationship with the Gatesville Chamber of Commerce, and we applaud and support their efforts to highlight local businesses,” Hunt said. “While we know that growth is coming to Gatesville whether we actively seek it or not, our goal is to generate smart growth that affords opportunities to businesses both large and small.”
The city’s growth has been a major topic in recent city council and planning meetings. Hunt said the city is currently working on keeping track of 11 other larger residential and commercial projects that are either pending, in progress, or have recently been completed.
“We have been working to coordinate our tracking of, and planning for, future development," Hunt said. “We have been busy, and we expect this to continue.”
