Starbucks, Qdoba Coming to Merrimack

It's been two months since the Merrimack Premium Outlets opened and as stores like and continue to trickle in since the big grand opening June 14-17, it seems the biggest complaint on message boards, review sites like Yelp! and even here on Patch, is the lack of a coffee shop at the retail center.

That's soon to change.

Merrimack Building Inspector Richard Jones said last week that two of three restaurants that will be taking up residence on the site of the Merrimack Premium Outlets will be Starbucks and Qdoba.

Jones said Friday afternoon that both building permits had been reviewed by department staff and were awaiting payment. The third restaurant, which is expected to be a yogurt shop remains to be identified.

If you have driven into the Merrimack Premium Outlets lately, you've probably noticed the construction work happening on the right as you drive up the hill on Premium Outlets Boulevard. This site, which was purchased from Simon Property Group by Thurloe Kensington Corp, is to be the home of this trio of restaurants and a full service bank.

The by the Merrimack Planning Board on Tuesday, May 15. When finished, Starbucks, Qdoba and the yogurt shop will occupy a more than 6,000 square-foot building with a drive through window. Also planned on that site is the 4,515 square foot bank.

Rich Landry, of Landry Architects in Salem, did not return a call seeking more information on the time table for when these businesses maybe be open or to name the other two.

A real estate flyer for American Commercial Real Estate out of Bellingham, Mass., advertises the restaurant space on the site. A phone call to Dusty Burke, the listed agent for the property has not been returned.

At the time the project was under review with the planning board, Gordon Leedy, the director of land development with Vanasse Hangen and Brustlin Inc., said a project like this generally takes about six months, meaning the restaurants could possibly be open by the end of the year.

Reached on Wednesday, Leedy said that there are tenants in the works for the other two spaces but he didn't feel comfortable revealing the names without knowing where they were in the lease process.

The first phase of the Merrimack Premium Outlets construction was completed in June that celebrated a 98 percent-filled shopping center filled with designer and brand-name outlets including J. Crew, Bloomingdale's Outlet, Sak's Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Nike, Ann Taylor, Coach and more.

Future phases of the project include the addition of four full-service restaurants and two hotels near the entrance to Premium Outlets Boulevard off of Industrial Drive, as well as the addition of more retail shops. A timetable for the next Phase has not been released.

According to the Premium Outlets store listing on its website, Finish Line will open around Sept. 10, followed by Zwilling J.A. Henckles (a cutlery and kitchen gadget outlet) at the beginning of October.

Access everything Merrimack Patch has written about the Merrimack Premium Outlets on on our Outlets topic page, which can also be found in our news drop down menu.