At 2525 1/2 North Clark Street in Chicago, IL resides one of the earliest Starbucks coffee shop locations in the country. To help depict how long this location has been part of the Starbucks success story, of the current 15,836 Starbucks in the US, this shop is Starbucks #272 of that list. Decades of intense operation and massive amounts of daily foot traffic visiting the popular coffee destination deteriorated the internal structure with normal wear-and-tear as expected. Roughly three decades past its initial construction, this Starbucks fell into a state of decline, and required major renovations in a dire way. In order to properly restore and repair this battered structure, Starbucks needed a reliable, experienced, and dedicated crew to take immediate and drastic action.
In 1987, Starbucks, up until then a coffee chain exclusive to Seattle, decided to pursue development opportunities in Chicago effectively beginning their national expansion journey. 35 years later, the company has now successfully introduced and established the Starbucks brand in every state within the US and is considered multinational with over 32,000 stores across 80 countries. As we have done with more than 100 other Starbucks locations, MRG Construction Corp (MRGC) applied the skills and knowledge of our highly qualified team to the effort of restoring one of the original stores that began Starbuck’s ascent to global success.
While thirty years of continuous growth for a company is an occasion for celebration, thirty years of increased operation and demand takes an immense toll on the structure in which business is conducted. Initial assessment of the property uncovered a mold problem, spurring MRGC to act quickly and thoroughly to remove the hazard and sanitize the remainder of the shop. Following the mold remediation, we performed demolition down to the studs to create a clean canvas and ensure a safe and durable future interior. Once the construction crew aligned to the plan and prepped the base shell structure, a full commercial interior build-out commenced.
New bathrooms sporting earth-toned tile coupled with wooden cabinets, bar-tops, and paneled accent walls give the space a comfortable and stylishly retro appearance. A leather booth that spans the length of one wall, and the sleek light fixtures mounted behind it bring warmth to the space. A complete replacement of the stone and furniture within the patio modernizes the exterior front of the Starbucks. The construction crew also incorporated modern technology with updated systems in the space with the installation of new electrical, plumbing and kitchen appliances.
MRGC extends a big thank-you to Starbucks for their continued partnership and wishes smooth operation of this establishment for at least another 30 years.