The Starbucks that has operated in downtown Clarendon Hills since 1999 is closing in the spring.
Village Manager Kevin Barr said village staff had confirmed the closing and that it is planned for the spring. A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed that the store is permanently closing.
“We make decisions every year as a company on determining when and what stores we will be closing,” the spokesperson said. “It is a yearly consideration. We are sad to leave the community, but that does not mean that we don’t consistently look towards the future for another Starbucks location in Clarendon Hills.”
The spokesperson said the Starbucks inside the Clarendon Hills Jewel-Osco, 303 Homes Ave., will remain open.
The closing of the downtown Clarendon Hills Starbucks at 100 Park Ave., comes more than six years after the family-owned Quinn’s Coffee House shut down its business Dec. 31, 2016, following a 30-plus-year run at 2 S. Prospect Ave. That storefront remains vacant.
Village President Len Austin said he believes Starbucks has become too big of a company for Clarendon Hills.
“Even though our store is busy and has friendly and hardworking people there, apparently they just don’t do the volume that a store with a drive-thru through would,” he said.
Austin said he believes the Starbucks closing offers an excellent opportunity for Tierra Distilling Co. & Cafe to be innovative, and grow its business.
“Tierra is locally owned, managed and run,” Austin said. “I think they will benefit greatly from this change.”
Tierra Distilling Co. & Cafe opened about seven months ago at 211 Burlington Ave. Co-owner Brandon Getchel said he agrees with Austin’s take.
“First, we are sad to see any local business leave,” he said. “A lot of people have only heard of us as a distillery, and this is an opportunity for people to find out about our cafe and what we have to offer.”
The cafe opens at 6 a.m. Monday-Friday and offers a variety of popular coffees, including rotating blends of hot coffee, cold brew and cafe au lait, which is coffee with hot milk added.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
