Bel Air Starbucks Takes Shape on Route 1

Starbucks is opening in the Bel Air Plaza “in the near future,” according to a Starbucks spokesperson.

Workers have been on-site converting the former Baltimore County Savings Bank into a standalone coffee shop operated by Starbucks, which has more than 20,000 stores worldwide.

The Bel Air location will have a drive-through and outdoor patio seating, a Starbucks spokesperson reports. More than 40 percent of Starbucks have a drive-through, and those stores have higher-than-average sales growth, according to Starbucks, which said earlier this month that it saw ”significant opportunity to meet commuting customers in smaller [store] experiences” with drive-throughs.

Inside the Bel Air store, Starbucks will sell its usual menu of food and drink, with two unique offerings:

• Starbucks Reserve, “a special collection of rare coffees from small farms all over the world,” will be delivered weekly for limited-time availability at the Bel Air store, according to a Starbucks spokesperson. It is considered an “upscale coffee line,” according to The Huffington Post.
• Bel Air customers will also have the option of getting coffee brewed by the cup using a special system called The Clover. This takes a bit longer and costs on average $2.65 a cup versus the $1.85 average for a regular tall coffee, The Huffington Post reports.

Starbucks would not specify when the Bel Air store will open other than to say it will be “in the near future.”

The new Starbucks will be at 563 Baltimore Pike/US Route 1 in Bel Air.

Related: Is Starbucks Brewing Plans for New Bel Air Location?