The fourth Starbucks location in downtown Chattanooga opened Monday just in time for the holiday season, adding to a growing list of coffee spots in the area.
The two-story Starbucks at The Block opened at 225 Broad St. in what was formerly Chattz at the Block, a coffee and wine bar, before it closed in fall 2017. The new Starbucks is situated between the Rock/Creek store and High Point Climbing and Fitness and is part of the building owned by CARTA. The nonprofit redevelopment group River City Co. has a long-term lease for the space.
There is a second-level seating area at the new Starbucks downtown. It is the fourth one to be added in the downtown area.The Starbucks includes seating areas on both the first and second levels as well as nitro cold brew coffee on tap. There is also an outdoor patio. A corporate spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Kim White, president of River City Co., said the agency thinks it's important to have a mix of local and national businesses in the downtown scene and rising rents didn't affect Chattz' decision to leave. Chattz operated in the space for three years before closing.
"We were sorry to see Chattz close, but it was a business decision made by the owners to stay focused on roasting and not the retail component of their business," White said in an email.
White added that Starbucks is a name that often comes up when the agency conducts surveys asking people what they would like to see most in downtown.
"We feel like with the riverfront draw to people out of town and the booming climbing business next door, this location is a good one for them," she said.
In the past year, three new coffee shops have opened downtown, including a new Starbucks location in the North Shore at 20 Cherokee Blvd.; The Mad Priest Coffee & Cocktails opened at 719 Cherry St. last month; and The Edwin Hotel opened a coffee and snack shop known as Provisions on Walnut Street. There were already two Starbucks locations downtown - one at the Read House and one at Erlanger Hospital.
At the same time, local coffee spots Chattz and Revelator Coffee, which was right down the street from the new Starbuck's North Shore location, closed.
"Chattanooga has been a difficult market for us to support, and our staff there really did the best they could out of that location," said Meredith Singer, Revelator's director of marketing and brand strategy, in April.
Contact staff writer Allison Shirk Collins at ashirk@timesfreepress.com, @AllisonSCollins or 423-757-6651.