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Coffee giant Starbucks closed a prominent Broad Ripple location this week, and a hand-written sign posted in the shop’s window advises customers to visit a new location set to open Monday at Glendale Town Center.
Wednesday was the final day of business at 854 Broad Ripple Ave., where Starbucks opened in 1999.
The window note signed by “your Broad Ripple baristas” thanks customers for “25+ wonderful years.”
Meanwhile, a 2,225-square-foot standalone Starbucks will open at 4:30 a.m. Monday at 6171 N. Keystone Ave., according to store manager Shannon McCarrel. About 20 employees will work at the location, McCarrel said, including most staff members who served customers at the Broad Ripple shop.
Attempts to reach a Starbucks representative for comment regarding the closure of the location at the corner of Broad Ripple and Guilford avenues were unsuccessful. Abigail’s dress shop occupied the spot before the arrival of Starbucks.
The process of closing the Broad Ripple Starbucks and launching a shop near the intersection of 62nd and Keystone is reminiscent of a 2023 bank branch shuffle by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Chase closed locations at 706 Broad Ripple Ave. and 6210 Allisonville Road before a new branch opened at 2370 Broad Ripple Ave. in a new structure built in the parking lot of Traders Point Christian Church.
The new Starbucks at Glendale Town Center isn’t the only construction at the retail center managed by Kite Realty Group Trust.
A Panda Express restaurant is planned as a 1,200-square-foot structure along 62nd Street, directly east of a Walgreens store, 6191 N. Keystone Ave., IBJ reported in July.
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It’s a drive thru world.
Sadly, you’re correct. Sbux has sold out for mass volume. Outgrown the standalone urban locations. Assembly line production is the only thing that is going to drive their revs any higher. Tough one for Broad Ripple, but 5-6 other local coffee shops are in the village within 4 blocks. Hoping the Starbucks faithful can change their routine to include one of Ripple’s homegrowns.
It’s also a “order ahead mobile world” and that was a location ill-suited for that.
Just further evidence of the decline of BR. So sad. There are very few quality retailers left in the village to bring anyone in during the day or early evening. Hopefully the likes of BR Bagel Deli, Hubbard & Cravens, Monon Coffee, etc can survive until the village can reinvent itself back into what it was. Kudos to them as well as Cholita, Flatwater, and the very few others trying to keep the village an inviting place to come.
Broad Ripple doomed itself — with LOTS of help from city government. It ceased to be a “village” long ago when decisions were made to enable mass production of raucous drunkenness, and its adjacent mayhem. No doubt the current leadership of BVA and so-called urban planners will criticize such a view as old-fashioned. But the proof is in the pudding. Broad Ripple used to be a wonderful little commercial center. Now it is a disaster that not even Starbucks can tolerate.
There is definitely decline within Broad ripple without a doubt.
However, I think there are macro business strategy reasons for why Starbucks is moving that supersede some of the neighborhood concerns in this case.
Monon Coffee is terrific!
What Ryan S said.
I hope the BRVA and building owner have anticipated this so the site could be leased to a quality retailer other than a vape shop and CBD shop
BR is not even a shadow of its former self
But you know they have the pay to park covered in the event anything pops
The whole thing is SAD and seems to lack any master direction
Decline in Broad Ripple? Not so much. What has hurt Broad Ripple in recent years was the incessant road construction which, thankfully, has (mostly) been completed. New businesses will move in and be just fine. There are hundreds of new apartments opening very soon right in the heart of Broad Ripple and there are still plenty of independent retailers and restaurants to serve the neighborhood. If you truly relish the “village” feel, I hardly think that a Starbucks closing is something to cry about when, as others have already pointed out, there are plenty of homegrown options already in that area ready to fill any void.