Saratoga Coffee Drinkers Love New Starbucks

I was quite excited to learn that a new Starbucks was opening up today at Quito Village Shopping Center on Cox Avenue where the liquor store used to be.

A few of the center’s spaces are empty and it’s been a bit depressing visiting there over the years. Now things are picking up and new businesses are starting to open. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times.

Yes, I love the mom and pop places like Blue Rock Shoot on Big Basin Way, which has fantastic musical performances of all types for free and a back porch with a view of trees, but I also have a favorite Starbucks drink that is hard to get anywhere else.

It’s a short skinny decaf caramel macchiato. (Say that 10 times fast.) Short is smaller than a tall and I believe they don’t list it on the menu. Yes, I feel like a coffee stud when I order it because people raise their eyebrows and ask me about the size almost every time. I also get Starbucks gift cards from various people and I obviously can’t use those at Blue Rock Shoot. (Blue Rock sells gift certificates by the way. I bought a bunch for my son’s teachers once.)

Prolific Oven also at Quito Center makes great regular coffee but in my opinion not so hot espresso drinks. I would recommend Prolific for sandwiches and fancy cakes. I believe Prolific will benefit from the new Starbucks opening up because it will bring more people to the center.

I went to the new Starbucks on the way home from my lunch meeting Friday and loved the easy parking and fast service. Even though there were people ahead of me, I didn’t wait long and my server, Shift Supervisor Aaron, took my order quickly. He was very personable and made me my special short drink right away. It was delicious and he made it just right. He seemed to like that after he asked me my name I said, “Michelle like The Beatles' song.” Sometimes the servers are really young and they don’t know what I’m talking about when I say that.

Aaron told me that the Quito Starbucks opens at 5 a.m. on weekdays and 30 minutes later on weekends and it closes at 9 p.m. Even though nearby Gene’s sells coffee and gives out those nice little free samples, it would be a great idea to pop over to Starbucks to check it out after a shopping trip, even if you go after work and it is late.

My neighbor Anne Palmer, a substitute teacher and mom, told me she went to the Quito Village Starbucks Friday morning and said, “the order, service, friendliness, set up and design of building were all A+!”

Palmer rode her bike there and met two friends. She said she is happy to finally have a Starbucks close to both home and school. Her son attends Marshall Lane Elementary School in Saratoga.

She plans to both walk her dogs and ride her bike there.

Palmer commented that she noticed quite a few familiar faces there and she expected it to grow in popularity as a warm gathering spot for the local community and neighborhood.

I echo her sentiments when she told me that the big round window is very cool. We both noticed plenty of outdoor seating so you can bring your dogs along too.

Palmer also said, “They were ready to serve and excited to be there, and the thing with a chain like Starbucks, is you know what you are going to get: quality, service, and consistency, in a nice, warm, welcoming atmosphere.”

So check it out next time you are at Quito Village. And congratulations to all of the Primary Plus parents who finally have a nice nearby coffee shop to visit after they drop their kids off at school.