I used to go to the Starbucks a block to the east of here, but that site closed, and this site recently opened up.
And this is a gorgeous new store, with a larger interior, more light (being right on the corner of Sherbrooke and Claremont, with lots of windows on both sides), more interior seating (seating tables along the walls, higher bar seating table and bar chairs in the middle), and an overall airier, roomier, more spacious feel to the place. Still has the free wifi (nice!) and larger bathrooms (super nice!). I like how this site had a large, well-marked counter for thier mobile pick-up orders, too.
What I wasn't crazy about was the line to order and pay. It is not marked at all. So today my mom and I went in to get a gift card for a friend's birthday. We were waiting in a line for 5+ minutes but, apparently it was the wrong line (it was the line for people who have already places their orders, waiting for their drinks to be made). When I saw another line forming to my left, I asked the woman in the front if we (my mom and I) were in the right line, and she said no, but no worries, we could go in front of her. (So nice! Granted, my mom is 88 years old, with a cane, so it was appreciated). When I got to the cashier, we got a gift card and loaded it with a LOT of money (it was a substantial gift), and the guy didn't even have a sleeve or envelope for it. (Disappointing - but, okay, it happens). Then I told him that it would really be helpful for us customers to have some signage up, so we'd know to go in the right line when we are ordering our drinks or food, and also it'd help if there were a sign for the order pick-up line, too. (He could see my mom was elderly with a cane, and we had been waiting and standing for over 10 minutes by this point). He didn't seem to care at all and didn't respond to my suggestions for signage. I really felt dismissed. Argh.
This is a super pretty and spacious Starbucks store, but in truth, I miss the old one a block away, where the employees were all so friendly and it was clear where to place your order and pick it up. read more