A number of readers have reached out in recent weeks, noticing increased construction activity at the northwest corner of 22nd & South and wondering what's going on. Some history- L2 restaurant made its home here for over fifteen years, closing in 2013. In the summer of 2014, we heard rumblings that Starbucks would be opening here, an addition cheered by some and lamented by others. Early last year though, a sign appeared on the side of the building announcing that a restaurant called Growler Stop would instead be taking over the space and people were into it. After all, who doesn't like beer and brick oven pizza?
But it's been over a year since the sign appeared, and at some point it disappeared. And now, with so many people curious about the future of this property, we've been burning the midnight oil trying to find out what's next for this prime retail location. And we have the answer, and stop us if you've heard this one before.
Yup, it's gonna be a Starbucks after all. The business will take over the first floor, and there will be four rental apartments upstairs.
Two years ago when this first emerged as a possibility, we wondered whether Starbucks would change the character of South Street West. We're still not sure, but we're inclined to believe that the corridor will continue to evolve slowly and improve incrementally, as it has in recent years. What do you think? And what do you think about a Starbucks at 22nd & South?