Starbucks making a return to Main Street in downtown Merced — but in a new location
Despite coronavirus-related slowdowns, a new Starbucks in downtown Merced is slated to begin construction this summer near West Main and R streets — and hopefully open by the end of the year.
The new location is part of the shopping center at 1136 W Main St., which includes Cardenas Market and Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park. Each are projects by Livermore-based developer Rhino Investments.
The news will be welcome to fans of Starbucks who were disappointed when the Main Street location off K Street closed, making way for the existing location on that side of town, at 360 W. 16th Street off Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
“(The Starbucks) adds to the viability of the shopping center and continues to draw people downtown,” said Merced Director of Economic Development Frank Quintero.
Quintero said the new Starbucks will reside in a newly constructed 1,900 square foot building, including a drive-through option for customers.
“We believe the area has high traffic demand,” said Rhino Investments founder and CEO Sanjiv Chopra. “I think it’ll be a great opportunity for the (shopping) center,” he added.
Chopra noted that location is near Highway 99 and frequently passed by those going to and from work. He said he’s aware of demand for a Starbucks in this part of downtown as well.
“It’s a growing city,” he said. “The people of Merced have been great to us.”
Chopra estimated the new Starbucks will employ around 20 to 30 workers once it opens. The construction and opening dates are tentative, as coronavirus precautions slow each aspect of the process down, he said.
“With everything the way it is right now, we’re trying to keep everyone safe,” Chopra said.
The pandemic may also affect the overall budget, as different protocols may come into play to protect construction workers, he said. Chopra said he could not give an estimate on the project’s cost on account of the uncertainties.
Chopra said the City of Merced has been patient and easy to work with during coronavirus.
“COVID-19 is impacting construction and timing,” Quintero said of city development plans. “The projects are still moving forward,” he added.
Difficulty obtaining construction supplies is one factory slowing projects down, Quintero said.
A project that workers have been taken off of as a result of COVID-19 is renovation of the former Sears building at the Merced Mall, Quintero said. The plan divides the large building into separate smaller ones in an effort to revamp the mall with new stores.
