Starbucks — Restaurant in Town and Country

I've driven by this lot for years when it was just a parking lot, and I was very surprised when they were building a Starbucks here. How would it fit on the lot? What would the traffic flow be at a very busy intersection with a lot of pedestrian and cyclist traffic on Clayton Road?

I finally had a chance to check it out this morning on the way to a local park. I arrived before 7, so it wasn't busy yet. The lobby is small with probably half the retail, a small case for baked goods, and a small fridge for snacks and other non-coffee cold beverages. There is a digital screen showing order status, which I haven't seen elsewhere. There are restrooms on the other side of the retail shelves but no inside seating. There are two outdoor seating areas, one facing Clayton Road and one facing the parking lot and Ballas Road. There are two other Starbucks nearby but neither has a drive thru, so I could see this location being a favorite for those on the go.

The only way to enter is from Clayton Road but you can exit onto Clayton Road and turn either direction or exit onto Ballas Road but Northbound only. No left turn (southbound) is permitted onto Ballas Road as this intersection gets pretty congested, especially during rush hour. They did a great job with the signage on this site to show drivers the traffic flow.

Sidewalks nearby were upgraded around the time this Starbucks was under construction so this intersection does seem safer for pedestrians, especially since they may be coming into this store. You can also tell that a lot of thought went into the landscaping plan and since this is a prominent corner, I really think they did a great job!

My actual interaction with staff was quite minimal but they were very friendly and the estimated completion time listed in the app...

I've been going to this store several times a week since it opened and have been impressed from day 1 at how well it runs. My order is always perfect, including the temperature (just warm) of my coffee. It's within walking distance of my home, but I use the drive-thru frequently and appreciate the thought that went into planning traffic management at this busy intersection. I wish I could give more than 5 stars for the service. EVERY barista I've encountered has been smiling and friendly, and I look forward to getting my morning coffee there, knowing it will be handed to me by someone who will greet me happily and wish me a good day like we're good friends. Thanks to all of them for making what could be routine and mundane feel pleasant...

Placed an online order for pickup in store. Arrived at the scheduled pickup time. They closed the inside so couldn’t pickup in store. Had to wait in the drive thru line to get my order. The online ordering system said to pickup inside. Absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable that they kept online ordering open and then expect you to wait 20 minutes in the drive thru line without...